Arrangement
by BLUEanimeGIRL025
Summary: Yes, the title leaves little up to the imagination, but it's simple and honest and what can I say, after five already typed up chapters, I didn't feel like sitting around coming up with a catchy title. This is a NejiHina story, cousinxcousin Neji x Hinata
1. The Decision

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Naruto at all_

_**A/N: **__Thanks to a youtube video I randomly decided to watch, I am momentarily obsessed by the idea of the NejiHina pairing. Apparently there aren't many NejiHina stories on this site (apparently, I say) and I suddenly couldn't __resist__ doing one myself._

* * *

Unpleasant.

Neji and Hiashi, the head of the Hyuga clan, had never been on very good terms with one another. Of course, things had gotten a little better after the Chuunin exams, when Neji had learned the truth about what had happened to his father, but this... this situation was definitely stretching the extent of their association.

Hiashi had been watching Neji and Hinata training with one another in the courtyard earlier that day, and afterward the man had asked Neji if he would follow him so that they could talk more privately. Now, they were sitting at the kitchen table in Hiashi's house having tea, and the atmosphere was decidedly awkward. The silence stretched on, each of them waiting for the other to talk; but what was Neji supposed to say exactly? _He_ (Hiashi) had been the one who'd wanted to talk after all.

After a few more minutes of uncomfortable silence, Neji couldn't bear it any longer. "So." he started simply. "There was something you wanted to speak to me about?"

Hiashi cleared his throat, looking even more uncomfortable than Neji felt, and grimaced. "Yes. Neji… there is something that we really must discuss." The man folded his hands on the tabletop, and glanced out the open window to his right, his pale eyes searching the clear blue sky.

"And what would that be?" Neji pressed, wanting to get this whole awkward business over with. Oh, how little he knew how much more awkwardness there was to come.

"The future of my daughter. Hinata."

The subject surprised Neji, and suddenly he began to wonder where all of this was going. "Yes?" he asked.

Hiashi grimaced again, picked up his cup, but barely wetted his lips with the tea. Eyes closed, he set the cup back down, and then shifted his gaze wholly on Neji. "How well would you say that you get along with my daughter?"

The question threw Neji off guard… way off guard… and he had to think before he could answer. He remembered a time when he had seen Hinata only as a weakling, as a failure to the entire Hyuga bloodline. Back then he had thought that she would never change. However, change she had - over time. Since birth, Neji's had known that his duty was to serve the Main House, and he had always hated Hiashi and Hinata and Hanabi because of that.

But Neji himself had changed too. The atmosphere wasn't nearly as violent whenever he was around any of them now… because he didn't hate them anymore. Hinata was probably the one he was… least uncomfortable around, though - though he wasn't exactly _comfortable_ with any of them yet. And so, it was finally with an indifferent sort of shrug that he answered Hiashi. "Well enough," he said simply, still wondering where this conversation was leading to.

"Well enough will have to do," Hiashi said with a sigh. "I apologize beforehand Neji. You have to understand that this was not fully my decision." He paused. "The Elders, and I, have decided that it is time to unite the Main House and the Branch House. However, the most effective way to do that… is by marriage." Neji's breath caught in his throat. "It would mean unity between the two Houses. The beginning of a new way of life for the Hyuga clan. There will no longer be any need for any curse seals." He sighed, again, but didn't continue.

Neji sat in stunned silence, struck speechless at this… quiet sudden… idea. His mind wanted to refuse this whole mess that his uncle was suggesting; he didn't want to think that this was really happening, that Hiashi Hyuga was _really_ asking he, Neji, to marry Hinata of all people. But Neji was a logical thinking kind of person, and he immediately saw the advantage between the two separate Houses finally becoming unified. A strong, single House, to lead the Hyuga clan.

Still, the thought of _he_, Neji Hyuga, _getting_ _married._ It was almost too much for even a logical thinker to take. He. and Hinata. What a strange, unexpected match. Truly, this went beyond the farthest reaches of Neji's imagination. How could he have ever seen it coming?

Suddenly feeling the pressure of being under the heavy weight of stress, Neji sat still as a stone, pale eyes wide as his mind raced and he considered this new thought from every angle.

"So… I am… to wed… Hinata?" Neji said slowly, still considering. He couldn't meet his uncle's eyes.

"Thank you for not having me say it out loud," Hiashi replied. "I am no happier with the idea than you seem to be, no offence to you intended. I am most definitely not ready to see either of my daughters married, especially at so young an age. There can be no love in a relationship arranged solely for the purpose of uniting our clan, and I fear what Hinata will think of this…. I have yet to tell her."

"So you came to me first?" Neji asked faintly, and now he was the one staring out the window, though he wasn't really seeing anything that was out there.

"I expected that it would be easier to talk with you about this, than it will be with Hinata," Hiashi explained.

"Ah." Neji's eyes suddenly focused. Hinata herself was out in the courtyard again, sparing with her sister. Surprisingly, though they also had never been on very good terms, it looked as though they were having a good time of it. And even then, Neji noted how much stronger Hinata was becoming. How much she had grown.

Then the concept of marriage crossed his mind again, and the word "wife" floated in the air around her image, and he cringed. He simply couldn't imagine it. Hinata, his wife. Neji, her husband. A unified clan. No more need for the Branch House and Main House to despise one another, no need for one to rule over the other. Neji's children would never have to worry about having to go through all that he himself had gone through.

As he sat there weighing the pros and cons, Hiashi stood. It took Neji a moment to realize, and so by the time he started to his feet, Hiashi was already walking out the door. "I am going to go tell my daughter now," he said, not looking back. "It has already been decided - the marriage _will_ happen."

Although, the man didn't sound too entirely happy about that.

* * *

It was… something close to devastating, really. How was Neji expected to react to such a sudden thing? He felt like a child who'd been taken by the hand and slapped on the wrist. _"Be a good little boy and do as your told," _he thought mockingly.

After being given the rather shocking news, he'd ultimately decided to escape from the Hyuga clan for a while, and he was pacing the streets of Konoha now, absentmindedly kicking around rocks and sometimes kicking them a little too hard whenever he got angry. Usually, in typical Neji Hyuga fashion, he would escape to some quite sanctuary whenever he really needed to think, but Neji felt as though he'd been shocked by a powerful electric current, and suddenly everything in his life was backwards. Or perhaps upside-down. Maybe both. It was all topsy-turvy however one looked at it. And so, he felt the need to be in a crowd, to be surrounded by people, in order to feel a little more stable and secure. It was different, but at least it wasn't maddening silence.

It was a stretch, but perhaps sometime in the far, distant future, after all was said and done, Neji would eventually become used to the idea of marriage to Hinata. Right now however, his mind shut down at the very thought, collapsing in and completely wanting to reject the entire idea.

And then of course, out of the crowd came the last person that Neji wanted to see. Loud mouthed, wild, immature Naruto Uzumaki. "Hey, Neji! What's with the long face? Don't you ever cheer up?" Neji just looked at him, not bothering to even change his facial expression for a boy so annoying.

Well, it _could_ be worse he supposed. It could have been Hinata. And he shuddered to think what it'd be like to run into her right now.

"Jeez, what's eating you?" Naruto demanded with a frown, and he punched Neji lightly on the arm.

"Nothing that concerns you," Neji said blankly, and he made sure to include a note in his voice that clearly said _"go away, no one wants you around right now."_

However, Naruto being Naruto, he didn't get the message. He probably didn't even get that there _was_ a message. Inside his own mind, Neji growled in frustration. Perhaps he should have gone somewhere to be alone after all.

"Hey… er… Neji," Naruto said, suddenly serious.

"What?" Neji demanded, feeling a vein throbbing on his forehead. He didn't even _want_ to know what Naruto wanted now.

"Could you do me a favor?" Neji eyed him blankly, and the blonde boy rushed on before he could say anything. "You're at least on talking terms with Hinata now right? Could you… could you tell her that I want to talk to her?"

Neji closed his eyes in frustration, and rubbed his temple. He could feel a headache coming on. "Thinking of asking her on a date?" he said through gritted teeth.

Naruto blushed brightly, and grinned, running a hand through that messy blond hair. "Well… yeah…." He laughed nervously.

"That wouldn't be wise," he advised.

A dumbfounded expression crossed Naruto's face. "Why not?" he asked.

"…She's engaged to be married."

Naruto's blue eyes grew as wide as Neji's must have been earlier. "You're kidding," he breathed.

Neji scowled at him. "Do I look like a kidder to you?" he demanded flatly.

It took a moment for the blond boy to recover from the shock. "Well- to who?" he demanded.

Neji could hear his own teeth grinding together. It had always been an uncomfortable feeling, but he was losing whatever little patience he had with Naruto. "Nobody important," he muttered, which was a lie, considering that it was _quite_ important to Neji if Hinata were to really be married to him.

Without another word he walked away, leaving Naruto standing shocked behind him.


	2. What A Shocker, Contemplation

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not owwwnnnn Naruto~ but that's okay._

* * *

When Hinata opened her eyes, none other than Neji Hyuga himself was standing above her bed, looking down at her. Well, glaring was more like it. He looked so angry that it scared her for a moment. For a moment she forgot what year it was. For a moment she was stuck in the past, thinking that her family all still despised her, Neji one of those that loathed her the most.

Then, she remembered.

"_Hinata, my daughter…." Her father placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, his eyes sad, and he looked embarrassed. "You are to wed Neji."_

After that, she had fainted.

Abruptly Hinata shot out of bed, surprising Neji. An immediate blush crossed her features, and her eyes flew open so wide that they had started to water. Really, she had thought she'd gotten over the shy fainting stage of her life, but that wasn't what was important at the moment. Her _father_ had _told_ her that she was to marry Neji. Could, by some sick twisted trick of fate, it have just been a dream? But why on earth would she have dreamt about something like that? And if it hadn't been a dream, if her father had really said such a thing, then she couldn't help but wonder... why?

"Neji," she breathed. She felt as though her lungs had stopped pumping air into her system.

Neji made a wry face. "So. It looks like you didn't take the news well."

"Neji… what- what's going on?" she asked, and… she felt frustrated. Something was tugging at her insides, making her feel like an ignorant child who knew nothing.

"Well, apparently…" he stopped mid-sentence, and she distinctly heard his teeth click together. "Didn't your father explain everything to you?"

"Well, not everything," she breathed. Was her heartbeat slowing down? Darkness was threatening to take over her vision again, she was in immediate danger of fainting a second time. One right after the other - how sad, on her part. "Just…. He told me…."

"Shocking," Neji said simply, as if he were agreeing to her speechlessness. Neither of them seemed to have the ability to say it out loud.

"What… what are we going to do?" she half cried.

He glanced her way, arms crossed, seeming to take note of the tears that were filling her eyes. She wondered if she looked as scared as she felt. And Neji simply shrugged. "Nothing." His voice was like ice, wrapped in steel. "We will do whatever the Elders tell us to do. We don't have a choice, cousin." He nearly spat the word, and Hinata flinched as if he'd hit her. She could practically feel his anger burning her face, his old hatred for the Main House suddenly flaring up and out in all its glory.

What could she do? What could either of them do? They wanted her - _her!_ - to become this cold, steely person's _wife_! …and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. Neji was right. They didn't have a choice.

Frustrated, feeling almost as angry as Neji looked, Hinata began to cry. She just felt so confused! It was like the entire world were shifting. This whole thing, everything, it was all so wrong! She didn't understand at all why she would have to do something like this, what point it could possibly serve. She buried her face in her hands, crouched down on her bed like a baby who'd just woken from a nightmare.

After a moment, Neji reluctantly patted her shoulder, and she looked up at him with a tear-streaked face. He wasn't looking at her. His face was blank now, totally emotionless, and his shoulders were stiff as if he were preparing himself for something particularly unpleasant. "It will unify the two Houses. Yours, and mine," he explained. "That's why the Elders want… this."

Hinata looked down at her hands, still damp from her tears. So that was what this was all about. It would be nice, she supposed, to have all this messy Main House/Branch House tradition put behind them. It didn't do anybody any good. And Hinata felt horrible… she felt like a bad person, whenever she thought of the mark that was on Neji's forehead for her. The lives of the Branch House members were dedicated to serving the Main House. That was why Neji had felt so much hatred toward them for so long. He had seemed to be finally getting over that, after his defeat from Naruto in the exams, but now she feared that it would all come back. And how could she possibly even _think_ about _marrying_ someone who hated her?

Did Neji even care for her? She knew that he could now tolerate being in the same room with her without feeling anger toward her. She could even spar with him, and train with him every now and then. But marriage was about so much more than being in the same room without hating one another. _That_ just sounded sad. Where was love? Was Hinata never going to experience such a thing? She had wanted Naruto for so long… finally she was moving on, finally she was starting to break away from the hope that he would ever notice her….

But now was her own family going to deny her the opportunity to ever marry somebody whom she really loved?

She tried to put Neji's face with the word "husband," but she just couldn't imagine it. No, not at all.

"So that's it then?" she asked in a small voice. She'd thought she'd promised herself to never seem this weak in front of anyone again. "It's already decided?"

Neji nodded once. "Yes."

"Ugh." She put her head down again, but this time she didn't cry.

She anticipated the future, and feared it.

* * *

So that hadn't gone as smoothly as planned. After his run-in with Naruto in Konoha, Neji had turned away from the crowded village for somewhere more peaceful. However, once alone with himself, his thoughts had nearly driven him mad, as he'd suspected they would in the first place. So, he'd finally given up the ghost and surrendered, and headed for the Main House to talk to Hinata and probably her father.

Once there, though, he'd found Hiashi looking as though he'd put on an extra ten years. Neji's uncle looked like he could use a strong drink. "She fainted," he said simply as Neji approached him. "I put her in her room."

Neji had nodded, and for a moment had considered just going home. Finally though he made the decision to sit with Hinata until she was conscious again. He'd go crazy if he were left to sit at home to think about his circumstances. And if he were going to talk to Hinata, he needed to get it over with as soon as possible. Why avoid the inevitable? Like pulling off a Band-Aid, Neji just wanted to get this over with. Quickly.

He'd been considering the whole unpleasant situation all over again when Hinata had finally awakened. He'd been standing at her bedside, looking right down at her, trying to picture what it would be like to marry this girl. He'd been feeling aggravated and powerless, and he knew that things would just get worse once she was conscious. However, he hadn't expected for her to just jump right out of bed so suddenly. It had startled him, and then she'd gotten all upset and started crying.

Mostly, he couldn't blame her, because surely if he didn't care so much about his pride, surely if thoughts of what was better for the clan hadn't invaded him so, he would have cried too. But Neji Hyuga just didn't do things like that, even if his world was turned upside-down, and then there was that little side of him that wanted to ask, _"Am I really that bad?"_ Strange, that it should take a small hit on his self esteem whenever Hinata cried over the fact that she had to marry him. Really, why should he care? He didn't want to marry her anymore than she wanted to marry him. Did he?

No, of course not. If he had _wanted_ to marry his cousin, then he would have made the decision on his own.

Neji Hyuga was _not _the romantic type. He wasn't interested in girls (or boys, how dare you for thinking such thoughts about him). He wasn't interested in anybody, really... not in any way. And that made him feel sort of selfish. Was he really that much of a self-centered person?

Well… who else was there to care about? Neji just didn't _get_ close to people. He wasn't a romantic, he didn't go on dates, he'd never even pondered on/fantasized about sex before. No one had ever asked him out, which was good because he would have just turned them down anyway. He had virtually no experience in this area. How was he supposed to get _married_? But then again why did it matter if he had any experience or not? This was an arranged marriage, something forced upon him by the clan Elders. How could he be expected to _love_ Hinata under those conditions? Hiashi himself had said that such a thing wasn't possible.

And yet, that's what marriage was supposed to be about right? Love? It was just something that was, the way the universe worked. Of course Neji would worry about the whole "love" thing, because that was… practical. Sensible. And in the world of sensible things, marriage usually equals love, and vise versa. But how could he forget that _this_ particular marriage was not at all about the union of two people, as it was supposed to be? This was a union of the two Houses of his clan. It was something so much bigger than himself, not just an order or a job, but it was his duty. If it was his duty to marry Hinata, his own cousin, then he would do it, for the sake of his clan, even if he had hated the Main House for most of his life. At one point in time the thought of the two Houses coming together would have disgusted him.

And now… now his thoughts were so crazy and mixed up that he just didn't know what to think.


	3. The Question

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't take part in owning any little bit of Naruto… except for the plot in this story. That, you can be sure, is all mine. =)_

* * *

Neji thought, it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe. Once he finally got over how new all of this was to him.

Time passed quickly, and by now at least everyone in Konoha knew about Hinata and Neji's engagement. It was unfair, really. Neji had never really thought of himself as a husband, he'd never considered marriage, not even once in his life. Not even a mere passing, idle thought of what it might be like to be married. And now suddenly -_ quite_ suddenly - he was soon to have a wife.

He was still young though, and so was Hinata. If ever he'd thought of marriage, he'd never consider that it'd come so early in his life. If ever he'd imagined it, he had always envisioned it as some time far, far into a distant future. Not _now. _Never so _soon_.

Things - everything, he feared - in his life would rapidly start to change now. He and Hinata would have to make public appearances together, live in the same house together, sleep in the same _bed_ with one another. Then came the whole messy business of bearing an heir, which Neji didn't even want to _think_ about at the present time. Soon, all of Neji's time would be shared. Everything of Neji's would be shared, with Hinata. A wife was a literal other half. She became half of everything in one's life, half of everything that one was. Neji knew this, because that was the way that marriage was supposed to be. He had witnessed firsthand what a true marriage was supposed to be like, through his mother and father's marriage when he was a child. And though if asked, Neji would claim that he knew nothing about love, he had already seen it all.

Although, as the weeks passed, one thing about the situation did change. Hiashi, Hinata's father, Neji's uncle, was now actually looking forward to the marriage. (He was looking forward to it a great deal, actually). At the first, the man had seemed miserable about it all, and still it seemed that he was not ready for his eldest daughter to be married. However, suddenly Hiashi was full of sly looks whenever Neji and Hinata were around one another, and little questioning and suggestive smiles. He seemed to approve of the match, finally, and Neji wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

And of course, as Hinata Hyuga's future husband, Neji already had certain duties to fulfill. It was a little embarrassing, but he was around the Main House a lot more often now, at the insistence of certain family members… (not mentioning any names, although Hiashi would definitely have had something to do with it). It was _suggested,_ quite slyly, that Neji start spending more time with Hinata, and Neji himself didn't really object. Somehow or another he figured that he didn't really know very much about Hinata any more. As children, they'd been close, but now, they couldn't be more unprepared to be married.

So, Neji paid short, unexpected visits to the Main House, he would walk with her to her team whenever they practiced, and even walked with her when she needed to go into the village once - at the suggestion of Hiashi. All the while Hinata would blush and stutter, but she never objected. She knew that she could not fight off her fate any more than Neji could, and she seemed to be willing to find out more about him as well. Much of the time, being together meant a lot of awkward pauses and silences, but at least they attempted conversation. One day, Neji locked his arm with one of hers, just to see how it felt to have her there, and for a moment she blushed like crazy and he feared that she would faint again. Hinata, it seemed, was feeling much more insecure about all of this than he himself was.

However, after a while, Hinata did become a little more confident in herself. She could at least speak full sentences to Neji without stammering, and she didn't blush whenever he came to escort her, although she still averted her eyes a lot. After all, Neji and Hinata had known one another for nearly all their lives, and they had been friends as small children. So even if you were to suddenly and unexpectedly, and even a little unwillingly, to be married to someone like that, how could you constantly be embarrassed around someone you'd already known for so long?

So, slowly, things got better, and every day they each began to grow a little more accustomed to the idea. That was not saying much, however, for the people of Konoha. The Hokage Tsunade, apparently objected to the match, because Hinata told Neji a little about how the Hokage had had a little personal chat with Hinata herself about the situation. Hinata's friends and teammates didn't like Neji either, mostly for the fact that he had tried to kill her in the Chuunin exams - Naruto Uzumaki, the fool, was the one especially holding a grudge about that. Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame both strongly disapproved, and said so with Kiba's loud, angry words and Shino's silent expressions. They didn't think that it was right for Hinata to be forced into marriage, and with her cousin of all people. As teammates, the three of them had gone through a lot together, and so Neji didn't really blame them or get angry with them for sticking up for Hinata, even when they should know that an arranged marriage was not _his_ fault.

And Hinata's sensei, Kurenai, also disapproved, though she never said anything at all about it aloud, even to Hinata. Hinata talked to Neji about this a little bit also. "I can tell she doesn't like it," Hinata said quietly one day. "She doesn't say anything about it, she just looks at me funny. Sometimes she looks at me like I've done something wrong, and sometimes she looks like she feels sorry for me."

What could Neji say? He always _tried_ to throw his two cents into the conversation, but he wasn't much of a talker, and he always listened to whatever Hinata had to say. Although, she wasn't much of a talker either - hence, the awkward silences. Actually, Neji tried to keep the conversations rolling most days. He tried to keep her talking, because Hinata had a pleasant sort of voice, and he liked listening to it. He figured that maybe there was more to Hinata Hyuga than meets the eye… or was he just trying to be observant and positive because he knew he'd have to marry her?

You know, he really didn't know what to think anymore. A duty is a duty, and he was going to do whatever he was required of, so what was the use in thinking about it anyway?

Then one day, Neji steeled himself, and figured that he might as well try to throw in a little extra effort into this whole upcoming marriage thing. After all, Hiashi would be pleased, and Hinata wouldn't argue at all, because she never did. And maybe it would be better for the both of them in the end. Neji did need some extra time with Hinata; their conversations were always few and short lived because they were always on the move, going somewhere. Neji still felt like he was about to marry a complete stranger, a girl who'd not been included in his life since he was a child.

And he wanted to do this properly anyway, and fairly, if he could.

It was… quite embarrassing, really. He had to keep reminding himself that it'd be better in the long run. Maybe he'd congratulate himself for it one day, maybe he'd regret it completely. Either way, none of this seemed very fair, and he _would_ get things done the way they were supposed to be done. It's what his father would have wanted.

So, feeling a little more unsure of himself than usual, Neji paid another visit to the Main House to retrieve Hinata. Hiashi, of course, was happy to see Neji standing there when he answered the door, pleasantly surprised to see him, and called for Hinata. "Yes?" she asked Neji, her eyes to the floor again. She hadn't been expecting him this day. It had sort of become an unspoken agreement between the two of them that Neji never showed up on days when Hinata didn't have to train with her team.

"I thought we might go for a walk," he said, but he felt a little uncomfortable with his uncle standing there, watching the two of them. How _had_ the man managed to go from something he had dreaded to something he now couldn't seem to wait for?

"Alright," she agreed, a faint touch of pink touching her cheeks. Hiashi saw them off, and without another word or pause, Neji smoothly slipped his arm in hers again. She blushed, although not nearly as brightly as she had the last time, and Neji could almost _feel_ Hiashi just glowing as he watched them from behind.

Things did not go quite as Neji had planned though. He was too busy thinking, trying to plan an exact way to get the ball rolling. He was so caught up in all of it that he almost actually forgot that Hinata was at his side, her arm still intertwined with his.

They walked wherever Neji's feet lead them, and at first he even forgot where it was he had planned for them to go. He wasn't distracted from his reverie until Hinata finally spoke. "Um… Neji?" she asked shyly. Thankfully, she had dropped the "niisan" from the end of his name long ago. As children it had been alright, but after a while he just wanted to drop the honorifics. "Where are we going?"

Neji was startled from his thoughts, so abruptly that he smiled, amused at himself. Hinata's pale eyes widened, and for a moment he wondered why. "Nowhere important," he replied simply, although now he directed his feet to where he actually wanted them to go.

They ended up exactly where he had wanted them to be, at the top of a small hill outside of town, a little clearing free of trees, and a thin stream bubbling nearby. This was Neji's spot, the place where he had _always_ escaped to whenever he needed to be by himself. It was his own little place, and as far as he knew, he was the only person in the world who even knew about it. Well, the only person who took much interest in it anyway. He said as much to Hinata, and she looked about in wonder, as if suddenly seeing the little place in a whole new light. She walked over to the little stream, and sat on the rock that Neji himself usually sat upon.

Strange, the rock had seemed so much bigger when he was a child. It used to take effort to climb upon it, but these days he did it almost absentmindedly.

So he stood next to Hinata as she sat on his rock, and watched, curious, as she dipped her fingers in the water and brushed one of the passing multicolored fish. She laughed a little, surprised when the tail of one fish slapped water into the air. "Thank you, for showing me this place," she said in her soft voice, and for once her eyes were happy rather than troubled. Neji may never get used to referring to Hinata as his wife, but he thought he could get used to those eyes. Anyone glancing might think that they were exactly like his own, and all the other Hyugas', but they would be wrong. Hinata's were warmer than most, softer, more understanding somehow. Not like Neji's cold eyes. Not like their family's' cold eyes.

"So was there a reason why you brought me here?" Hinata asked, her voice still as quiet as it always was these days, and she turned those eyes on him now.

He shrugged, and climbed up on the rock to stand next to her. "I figured if we are to be married soon we might as well begin spending more time with one another." The word "married" still felt so foreign on his tongue; it came out sounding strange.

"Won't we be doing a lot of that soon enough anyway?" Hinata asked, and the sadness was back in her eyes.

Neji just shrugged. "I suppose."

There was silence again for a while, filled with all the wonderful usual awkwardness as the both of them scrambled to think of something to say, each of them failing. Quietly, Neji waited. When would he know if the moment was right? It certainly didn't feel that way now. He'd been planning this for a while now, actually, but had lacked the courage and the opportunity to do it. He'd pondered for a way that he could just get everything to stop for a while, so that he could carry out this little idea of his, and of course whenever he wanted calm and quiet, this was where he usually wound up. So, he had brought her here solely for this purpose. He worried now however that there'd never be a good chance for this. Maybe he should just abandon the plan altogether and not even do this at all.

"Neji…" Hinata said quietly, interrupting his bitter musings. "What do you think it'll be like… once we're married?" The word sounded foreign on her tongue too, and she blushed deeply as it escaped her lips.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "But we can expect it to be different from what we're used to."

"Well… yes."

Neji glanced down at her again, and for a moment she looked right back, her mouth open as if there were more she wanted to say. When his eyes locked with hers, she turned away quickly. "Is there something else on your mind?" he asked.

"I was just… wondering… why you were so quiet on our way here." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but Neji heard it clearly enough. "You seemed distracted."  
Neji shrugged again, suddenly embarrassed. "There was something on my mind."

"Something about me?" she asked hesitantly.

"Perhaps."

It was quiet again, and then Hinata took a deep breath and sighed, as if bracing herself for something. "What was it?" He looked down at her, and her eyes were pleading. She didn't look away this time. "Neji, will you tell me what you think for once? I have to know."

He was a little confused about where she was coming from really, and the look on his face must have expressed that, because she went on without waiting for a reply. "You're always so quiet," she explained softly, and suddenly her eyes began to fill with tears. "You've never… said anything about what _you_ think about all of this. I've heard what everyone else thinks, and I know what I think, but… what about you?"

Neji stared off, over the treetops into the distance, up at the sky. With autumn so close at hand, the sun was going down sooner in the day. It would be getting dark soon, and to the west the sky was already turning a faint orange. "And you?" he asked in return. "What are your thoughts Hinata?"

"My thoughts?" she repeated. Silence fell upon them, and she seemed to be thinking very hard, puzzling something out. "I don't know if I should say," she replied finally.

With a sigh, Neji finally sat, and the rock now seemed _much_ smaller than it had been when he was a child. He and Hinata were sitting so close to one another now. He hadn't expected it, and somewhat wished that he were still standing up. "That's your problem," he told her. "You're never sure enough of yourself." He glanced at her to see that the tears from before were drying on her cheeks now. Without really thinking about it, he wiped one away, and she blushed again.

"I… I can't say what I think until you tell me your thoughts," she whispered, not meeting his eyes again. Her face was close to his ear now, and it didn't matter if she whispered.

Neji sighed again. He wasn't used to talking so much about himself - especially anything having to do with his feelings. "What do you want to know?" he asked simply.

Worry crossed her features, with a faint touch of horror. "Do you think… I'll be a bad wife?" she asked, not looking at him. "Do you not want to marry me? What if I can't do this? Neji, I have no idea how you feel about any of it. I can't stand it."

Neji was for the most part surprised at her line of thought. What else could he expect from a girl with such low self confidence? She'd always been looked down on by her family, and for a long time, Neji himself had hated her. And he didn't talk much, it was true he had never really told her about himself either. So, Neji supposed he couldn't really blame her for feeling stress over it. He wouldn't have thought she'd get so worked up about it though. She really seemed to be beating herself up.

He hesitated before answering, choosing his words carefully. He didn't want to make her feel any worse, but he wanted to tell the truth, too. "I don't know, Hinata," he finally said. "Marrying you is my duty. For the sake of our clan, I'll do whatever the Elders tell me to do. Even marry." Hinata made a small choking sound. He quickly thought to say something that would make her feel better. "But as for you, I have no doubts in your ability to be a good wife." She glanced up in surprise. "You're quiet, and careful, and warm. You're different from the other Hyuga, and that's one of the good things about you.

"I never though much about… getting married. Actually, I've never thought about it at all. But I suppose if I _had_ to get married, I wouldn't chose someone other than you."

"That's… good at least," Hinata said, sounding a little relieved, and she bowed her head to hide tears.

He waited for her to regain control over herself and her emotions, then he asked, "And what do you think Hinata?"

She didn't answer right away. After a moment, she bent over to dip her fingers into the water again, making ripples in the almost calm surface, watching idly as the fish swam by. She rested her head on one of her knees. "I think it could work," she replied, and though her voice was quiet, there was a note of confidence there. "Maybe. If… we gave it time." She looked up at him for a reaction, and he nodded slightly, silently agreeing. "It's just so unfair," she continued, looking back at the colorful fish. Their scales glinted in the sunlight. "We didn't have any choice. And… well, when I imagine being married, I imagine… being in love…." At the last, her voice fell so quiet that if he hadn't been watching her lips, he wouldn't have heard her. She was blushing deeply again, and suddenly it hit him. Now was the perfect time.

Neji jumped down from his spot, trying not to talk himself into backing down now. It might be his only chance. Hinata watched him with curious eyes as he stood there with his back to her. "I've been thinking the same sort of things lately," he said, making his voice steady and firm. "It is unfair. It seems like none this was done properly. There's a certain order that things are supposed to go in, so that two people can become married, and we're just going to have to switch some of those things around." He paused for a moment. "But I suppose there's still one thing we could do correctly."

He turned to her, and her eyes were wide and inquisitive, watching him closely as if that would give her some clue as to what he was up to. Neji took a step forward, and then another, until he was standing directly before her. It was surprisingly difficult to keep eye contact with her at this point, and suddenly he was a little nervous.

This being an arranged marriage and all, he hadn't thought that doing this would bother him so much. But of course, that was Neji thinking logically again. Because that's always what he seemed to be doing, and he still couldn't get through to his own head that when it comes to things like marriage and love, there is no room for logic. Nothing makes sense anymore.

Abruptly Neji reached into his pocket, and Hinata's eyes followed his hand as it brought out a tiny, simple little box. He handed it to her, and for a moment Hinata just stared at it as if it were a snake, eyes wide. He held it closer to her, and she finally took it. At a gesture from him, she opened up the lid, and there, sitting so simply in the little box, was a ring. "My mother's ring," he said with what he hoped was an indifferent shrug. Suddenly seeing the thing made him even more nervous, as if the exposed presence of an engagement ring just piled the pressure on.

Hinata's voice seemed to be stuck in her throat. Her mouth was open as if she wanted to say something, but her eyes were a little panicked, and she kept glancing from Neji to the little box in her hand as if wondering exactly what it was she was supposed to do next. A little impatient now, Neji plucked the tiny thing from the box, and had a momentary panic attack as he blanked on which finger of which hand he was supposed to put it on. Trying to seem calm about the whole affair, Neji picked one of her fingers and slipped the ring on, quickly. And he figured he'd picked the right one, or else Hinata might have laughed at him.

And now Neji's voice was stuck too. He knew what to say, the words were in his head, but he just couldn't force himself to do it. A blush was threatening to break out on his face, and that was an unusual occurrence. He glanced up to assess Hinata's reaction again, and was relieved to see that at least he was handling it a little better than she was. The girl looked like her head was about to explode, and for a second Neji just wanted to laugh.

"Well…?" he said, as if that's all he could get away with saying. Hinata didn't reply to that, her voice was still caught. "Maybe you shouldn't think about what you have to do." Neji managed to choke out the words he'd planned before. "Will you marry me?" It sounded a lot less impressive when he said it out loud, in his slightly hesitant voice, than it had whenever he'd rehearsed it inside his head.

He glanced up again, and again there were tears there in Hinata's eyes. Really, Neji would never understand why females cried so much. Why couldn't she just answer the question? He swallowed hard.

Hinata bowed her head, as if realizing that her tears were something she should be ashamed of, and something about the gesture made Neji regret thinking the way he had, about women crying and such. She nodded her head, still seemingly unable to speak, and finally managed a quiet, "Yes."

Not sure what to do now, Neji nodded too, patted her hand uncertainly, and took his spot next to her back up on the rock.


	4. Officially Hitched

_**Disclaimer: **__It's noon exactly, I've been up all night thinking about NejiHina, and I still own absolutely nothing of Naruto. If that status ever changes, I'll let you know._

* * *

The time for the wedding was drawing closer, and each day Neji was a little bit _less_ and a little bit _more _sure that he could do this. It was a conflicting emotion really. He only became more anxious, which was unusual for him because hardly anything ever made him anxious. And yet as he spent more and more time with Hinata, whenever he was around her he was sure that things between them would work out for the better. Maybe it wouldn't be a marriage based on love, as his mother and father's marriage had been, but he thought, as long as it was Hinata he was with, it'd turn out alright. After all, they didn't really need love. And why was he worrying about love again suddenly anyway? He'd tried, in vain, several times, to remind himself that this was an arranged marriage, of which planning he'd had no part of, and that he'd never once before had a thought for love or relationships in his entire life.

Hiashi had been happy, of course, to see a ring upon Hinata's finger. Honestly, the man's suddenly excited manner eluded Neji. Perhaps his uncle was only so happy at the prospect of their marriage because it would be a match sticking true to the Hyuga bloodline, that any children they might have would be powerful and strong. Or perhaps he was looking forward to the uniting of the two Houses. Either way, he hadn't expected Neji to actually propose to Hinata - no one had - and so when she came home on that day with Neji's mother's ring on her hand, and Hiashi had recognized it, he embraced his daughter, and told her that he was happy for her.

The wedding date was practically upon them now though - not more than a week away, and Neji realized that Hinata's previous worries about whether or not she would be a good wife had gotten him to thinking about his own abilities as a husband. Of course, thinking logically, he knew that this was going to happen whether he was prepared or not, that this marriage was a good thing, and that he _could_ handle it. Thinking logically made everything seem okay, so he stuck with it.

He spent more of his time with Hinata than ever, because her presence relieved him a little, and also both distracted him and made him even more nervous at the same time. He thought that Hinata herself was a little relieved for his presence as well though, because though most of the time she seemed anxious and fidgety, she actually sought him out a few times near the Branch House buildings, claiming that things were worse whenever he wasn't around. They spent much of their time in Neji's clearing.

And Hinata was talking to him more now, opening up to him, which was also a good thing. He hoped that one day they would eventually find a common, comfortable level to stand on, but for now things still seemed a little unbalanced and out of place. Eventually, he hoped. Neji himself though, spoke less and less to Hinata, and became even less and less fidgety, sitting still as a stone with lips sealed tight out of stress, but he thought she understood his silence, or was either too nervous herself to really notice it.

They each had their own worries about the upcoming wedding, and the marriage that they were getting themselves into. They didn't say many of the troubles aloud, though for the most part they were mutual. The whole producing an heir thing was like a taboo topic around the two of them, and caused a great deal of embarrassment for the both of them whenever Hiashi happened to mention it. And the fact that they would have to kiss, and in front of everybody, at the wedding was a definite worry. Just because things were progressing slowly in their relationship didn't mean that they were to the point of kissing yet. They weren't even holding hands so far. Mostly, they were comfortable with simply walking arm in arm, and every now and then as they sat on the favorite rock in Neji's clearing Hinata would rest her head on his shoulder, but never did anything go further than that.

So, the bride and groom to be were both rather quite wound up in their own little knots of fret and anxiety, but otherwise things were going smoothly, and Neji assumed that their behavior was not so unusual for almost-newlyweds.

They did spend a little time in Konoha, with friends. Mostly Hinata's friends, because selfish Neji didn't really have many people whom he enjoyed being around. He sometimes trained with his team, and Hinata sometimes trained with hers, but the both of them were skipping a few sessions in preparation for the upcoming event. However, Neji and Hinata were now never very far from each other. Whenever they were in town, Neji walked with her, and whenever she practiced with her team, Neji watched - much to the aversion of Kiba and Shino, and sometimes Kurenai as well. Hinata at first refused to stick around while he was practicing with his team, fretting that she would become a nuisance and get in their way. However, she didn't stay away for very long, and he caught a glimpse of her sneaking her way over to get a glimpse of _him _every now and then. All in all it was quite a distraction.

"You know, for someone who's suffering from an _arranged_ marriage, you sure do seem nervous about it," TenTen remarked one day. "And Hinata too. She says she doesn't want to be around, and she shows up anyway. What's up with that? Are you sure you two aren't in love with each other?"

Neji fixed her with a steely glare. She knew full well that he didn't _discuss _things with people. She'd just laughed at him though.

All time must pass, though, the show must go on, and nothing lasts forever - however you wanted to say it. But eventually the time finally came, and it was the night just before the wedding date. Neji said goodnight to his bride-to-be and was turning to head for home when she reached out and pulled on his sleeve to stop him. Her eyes were wide, and he could almost see all her worries swimming in them. "Neji, about tomorrow…" her quiet voice faltered a little, and she gulped hard. "We- we have to… kiss in front of people. You know?"

He nodded seriously, and leaned in to press his lips to hers.

It was awkward, for the both of them, and Hinata looked as though she were going to blush herself to death, and possibly pass out again. It was just a quick peck really, because neither of them were used to it or really knew what to expect. Without another word, Neji touched the bottom of her chin in a sort of good-bye gesture, and was off into the night, trying to shake off that anxious feeling.

* * *

He was quite unsuccessful however. By the time he was home again - which didn't take very long, seeing as the Hyuga houses were all in the same vicinity - he was still pretty much a nervous wreck, or at least, as much of a nervous wreck as Neji Hyuga could be. Knowing that he would never be able to sleep in the state that he was in, Neji sat, legs crossed, to meditate and clear his mind for a while.

The next day he woke in an uncomfortable position, with his back to his bedroom wall. It wasn't the worst thing in the world though. He'd had slept in much harsher conditions in the past, and opening his eyes to find the sunlight streaming into his room was better than waking in the rain and mud any day.

It was a new day. And he was getting married.

Things had most definitely changed over the past week or so. In driving himself and Hinata crazy, Neji fond himself actually looking forward to the wedding. Maybe he really did want to marry Hinata after all. Or maybe these feelings simply stemmed from being so worked up over the past week, and maybe he just wanted to get this all over with as quickly as possible.

Neji didn't know what to think anymore. As cold and determined as he usually was - or, as he was usually supposed to _be_ - Neji was actually a rather honest guy. Just because he didn't like to show much emotion didn't mean that he was total prick or anything; it certainly didn't mean that he didn't _have_ emotion. It must have been hard to imagine for anyone else, but he was actually quite capable of feeling things like love… he'd just never had the opportunity before.

So was that the real question here? Did he love Hinata? Was that what he wanted to know?

A month or so ago, he'd been surprised out of his mind the day that Hiashi had told him what the Elders had decided. A marriage between the Main House and the Branch House. A marriage between two cousins - Neji and Hinata. What a preposterous, unbelievable idea. And now that Neji was here, he wondered, could he go through with it?

Yes. Yes, if it were with Hinata, he believed he could.

And he hoped that he wasn't just fooling himself into loving her. He hoped that one day he _would_ love her, and that it would be real, because a girl like her deserved it. Hinata had always been the day-dreamer, romance novel type of person, and so she deserved a love like what she imagined she was supposed to have. Neji had never anticipated even in his wildest dreams that he'd be the one to offer such a love, but for Hinata's sake, and his own, and for the heir that they still didn't even want to think about so far, he hoped that he could give it well. He hoped, like any sensible, strong-minded man would, that he would be a good husband, and do the things he was supposed to do without screwing up, and that he would make his wife happy.

And so, it was time. And there Neji stood in his stiff formal robes, and there Hinata stood in hers, and everyone was watching. And before Neji had turned around twice, they were married.

The public kiss had gone smoothly enough. It had been nothing more than a millisecond longer version of the quick peck he had given her the night before, and everyone had cheered after that, so no one had really been paying attention to the kiss. That wasn't what was important, after all.

The reception lasted a while. Thanks to the Hyuga clan Elders, and Hiashi too, the party was quite a grand one - which honestly wasn't that surprising. They had pulled out all the stops, and everything Neji saw and touched looked expensive. And yes, in case you were wondering, Hinata did look very beautiful. Neji thought so too. He even managed to smile as they began the dancing, as was tradition. Hinata had been for the most part embarrassed during the ceremony, and now during the party, but the excitement had put a certain light in her eyes, and though she still fidgeted a little, she seemed mostly relieved and pleased with herself. Yes, she looked very pretty.

And now Neji had to think, about how there was suddenly another person in his life, when before it had only been himself. A wife, he was married. Someone to share half of himself with, hopefully as well as his father had done with his mother. "Neji, what are you thinking?" Hinata asked quietly while they danced that first dance. All eyes were upon them of course, and Hinata was still blushing - a little of it was due to a flush from all the attention and excitement - but no one was standing close enough to hear their words.

"I'm thinking about my mother and father actually. They were very happy, in marriage."  
A tiny smile crossed Hinata's features, it seemed like she couldn't hold it back. "Do you think we will be happy too?" And the look in her eyes was such a bare, open honesty, that for a moment Neji forgot which way his feet were going.

"I hope so," he replied, trying to focus on the damn dance. He didn't like dancing. Despite being adapt at stealth and graceful silence in anything else, whenever he was on the dance floor Neji turned into a complete and absolute klutz. He was hoping that this part would be over soon. Dancing was probably one of the only things he really, truly failed at, and felt that he could not improve on whatsoever. Hinata, on the other hand, flowed gracefully from step to step.

And there was something about that which was strikingly ironic. Neji felt the urge to roll his eyes.

There were speeches and sake. Neji didn't drink much, and noticed that Hinata didn't either, but Hiashi did. His face was red from having drunk so much, and Neji wondered if his uncle were _actually_ becoming a little tipsy. However, the man's speech was not impaired in the slightest, and Neji felt as if Hiashi could still do all the things he could do sober, or possibly even better than he could sober. Hinata didn't like sake, Neji could tell by the look on her face every time she took a sip. Or perhaps it was alcohol itself she didn't like. She gave her father quite the disapproving look whenever she saw him take another drink, and then another.

The party went on, and people kept wishing the couple congratulations, hope and inspirational words for the future, some people even commented on how unusual it was that Neji and Hinata were cousins and marrying. It wasn't completely unheard of really, but still a rare happening. Then people finally began retiring for the night, and leaving the party. Naruto Uzumaki, Neji had noticed with some amusement, had been glum during most of the night, and as the blond boy left, Neji couldn't resist asking, "Still hoping to catch that date?" He let his face settle into a completely expressionless position, just as if he were asking a simple, polite question, but Naruto still walked away calling him a bastard under his breath.

Neji and Hinata stood arm in arm for most of the party, but it felt more formal than it did whenever they were alone. Everybody was watching them, and the clothes the two of them had on were really quite uncomfortable, so Hinata and Neji were both all stiff for most of the celebration. Through everything that happened, Neji stayed silent and accepted it all, saying goodnights whenever it was appropriate, giving thanks at every congratulation and toast and speech. A surprising amount of people had things to say, all things considered. Well, he wouldn't think much on it. And though Hinata was a bit more social than he was, for the most part she followed Neji's suit and stayed silent, too embarrassed to do much else.

Finally, Neji decided that the party had winded down enough for the two of them to leave, although, he was still a little nervous about how the night would progress. That night they would be moving into their own place among the Hyuga Houses, and for the first time, Neji would be living in the Main House section, and he'd be there to stay. And of course, they'd also be sleeping in the same bed from then on, as husband and wife now. And Neji tried desperately to fight off any thoughts of... producing an heir. Perhaps they didn't need one so soon. Just thinking of it gave him a slight anxiety induced headache.

Hinata quietly agreed then that they should leave though, and they themselves said their goodbyes to all the party guests still remaining, Hinata's father and sister both among them. "Sister," Hanabi acknowledged her when she told her goodnight. Hanabi and Hinata hadn't ever been on very good terms with one another.

So Hinata hugged her father, and then they were gone, on their way to a place that they would soon be calling home. Married. A lifetime commitment. It would definitely take some getting used to, but Neji supposed that he could handle it, considering that he had the rest of his life to do it.

And things were a little awkward once they were there, alone together again. It was… like a house just for them, except it was huge. Everyone in the Main House had their fair share of luxury, and Hinata, being the heiress of the Hyuga clan, was no exception. However, it seemed as if even she weren't used to such outrageous extravagance. She was used to living in a place every bit as big, he supposed, but she had shared her home with other people, like her father and sister and servants. Now it would just be she and Neji together in this place.

So, the two of them were silent in their observations of their new home. They walked together, and Hinata took his hand, blushing a little and glancing his way as if to make sure that it was an alright thing to do. Before the wedding, neither of them had actually been allowed to go inside the building. The family hadn't wanted them to. And so now they had much to observe. It was a nice place really, but Neji wondered how he could call a place like this his home. It seemed more like a luxury resort.

So, the two of them continued their personal tour, because the only thing they had to do other than that was to go to bed... and Neji didn't think that Hinata was any more ready for that than he was.

The quiet in the house was eerie. Neji was used to some kind of communication, some kind of noise in the background. But there was nothing. Just simple, deafening silence that was hard to handle. And something about Hinata seemed sad, as if she had lost something precious during the celebration. It seemed as if a part of her had gone, and Neji didn't know what to do about it. What was he supposed to say to her? His new wife, whom he cold barely hold hands with, let alone anything more than that. What did a man do when something was troubling his wife? He knew what his father probably would have done, but Neji couldn't be his father and he didn't think things like that would work at this point in he and Hinata's marriage.

He remembered, as a child, being content, and watching as his father pulled his mother close… kissing her skin, making her happy by rubbing her shoulders and melting her stress away. Even as a baby Neji had known that they were in love, but he couldn't make those images match up with he and Hinata. In fact, he shied away from those thoughts. He couldn't even imagine pulling Hinata close the way his father had done to his mother, much less kissing her or….

"Neji," Hinata said quietly, and that was all she needed to say. She let go of his hand, and he watched as she sat down in a chair, and the breath seemed to leave her in one large gust. And then Hinata began to cry, silently, hiding her face in her hands. For a moment, Neji panicked internally, and then he could feel his heart thrumming as he stood closer to her. Unsure of himself, he crouched in front of her, and waited until she looked up at him. Tears flowed freely down her face, and quiet sobs shook her body. Neji had the strangest urge to apologize, and he took her hands in his own.

They fell asleep that night still wearing their formal wear, because it was just too awkward to separate from one another and dress into something else. And as he drifted to sleep, Neji was marveling at the feel of Hinata resting on his chest, the sound of her gentle breathing as she snoozed soundly. He wondered if he would soon grow accustomed to this feel, these sounds, at having Hinata in his arms as they slept. She smelled nice. Neji had noticed it before, he'd just never really thought about it. And then, he drifted off into a content, comfortable sleep.

* * *


	5. They Want An Heir So Badly

_**Disclaimer: **__Still I own nothing of Naruto. And I don't really expect that to change any time soon._

* * *

"So, how are things? Can I be expecting a grandson any time soon?"

Three weeks. It had only been three weeks since the wedding, and this was the third time Hiashi had brought the subject up.

It always stirred various nervous reactions from Hinata, while Neji bowed his head and tried not to glower. Really, the man's inquiries were starting to irritate him. Didn't he think that that kind of information was at all private? So instead Neji opted for squinting angrily down at the salad he was preparing.

Yes, the transformation was officially complete. Neji was a husband now. Because... he was in the kitchen of his home, preparing a salad at his wife's insistence, for their guest, his father in law, who was really starting to annoy. How anticlimactic.

Don't get Neji wrong though. Despite the foul mood that seemed to inhabit him whenever Hiashi was around, he and Hinata were doing quite well as newlyweds. They still weren't acting exactly like newlyweds, what with their constant reluctance to do anything intimate, even to kiss....

Things were progressing steadily. They were still just getting used to the new house, and living with one another, seeing each other 24/7, and most of the time it was actually quite pleasant. Neji and Hinata were comfortable around each other. Sometimes it was just as easy as it had been when they were children, when falling into a strange state of ease was something that they did often around one another, and they could just talk or laugh together.

It had surprised Neji, the first night they'd really sat down and had a conversation. For the first time since the whole mess started, he thought they were able to go for a long period of time without even mentioning the fact that they were technically "together" now. They talked mostly of simple, unimportant things, getting used to each other and getting to know one another now with a little more ease than they had been able to do before, when they'd still had wedding plans shoved in their faces left and right.

Neji was brought back to the present, out of his momentary reminiscing when the plate Hinata was holding suddenly slipped from her hand. It was a good thing that there was nothing on it, though Neji still managed to catch it. Hinata gave him a tight, thankful smile and a blush as she took the platter back from him, and moved around him, avoiding glancing her father's way. "Well?" Hiashi pressed. Honestly the man seemed to think that the process of birthing a child would take only days.

"Don't hold your breath," Neji muttered, but he said it quietly enough so that only Hinata could hear. Suddenly the girl nearly dropped the dish _again_, and Neji looked up to see that a rather distressed, ashamed expression had crossed her face. He realized too late that his words might be hurtful to her.

"What was that?" Hiashi asked in his deep, serious voice. The pleasant anticipation was there though. It was obvious that he was happy the way that things had turned out.

Neji hesitated, thinking of a decent reply. He avoided glancing Hinata's way at all as he said, "Things like 'passion' aren't exactly in our vocabulary." It had come out sounding much more casual than he felt, which was usually the case for him. But he could practically _feel_ the blush on Hinata's face radiating in the air.

"...Ah," Hiashi said, and all was awkward silence for a moment. _Wonderful,_ Neji thought sarcastically. "Well... it will take time, I suppose," his uncle said eventually, and suddenly the man sobered up. "I do apologize about this, to the both of you. I know that a marriage wasn't anything you two were expecting, but you seem to be doing well."

Neji nodded, feeling that he should say something to make up for the remark he had made a moment ago. "We are doing well," he agreed as he set the finished salad on the table where Hiashi sat. He made his way across the kitchen to Hinata, and touched her shoulder, trying to give her a look without her father seeing. She was still blushing, and that made him feel somewhat guilty. "Is there anything else you need me to do?" he asked.

She shook her head silently, biting her lip now. He hoped she didn't cry.

"Well, it... won't take very long to produce a son, I'm sure," Hiashi continued. Neji wanted to scowl. Did his uncle really _want_ to make things worse for them? "I'm sorry if I seem pushy about it, but that was the whole point of this marriage anyway, wasn't it?"

Hinata finally turned to look at him. "What?" she demanded quietly.

"Well, the marriage was definitely essential in uniting the two Houses, but the child that you will have is what seals the deal."

"You never told me that," she replied, looking down at the floor now.

A strange expression crossed Hiashi's face then, and he stood, and walked over to Hinata until he was standing directly before her. Neji busied himself with some small task so that he wouldn't be in the way. Hiashi touched his daughter's face, lifting her eyes to meet his. "Don't become frustrated Hinata. There's no need to rush. Take your time, and enjoy your new marriage while you're still young and free." She nodded, but once again didn't speak.

Eventually Hiashi did leave, and Neji couldn't have been more relieved. Even now, contentedly married, the subject of bearing a child was still something that made Hinata and Neji too ill at ease to even consider.

Anyway, Neji had hoped that with her father gone, all those uncomfortable thoughts would leave Hinata, but she stayed silent for most of the day after that. Neji watched her, concerned, but said nothing, because that's just the way he was. A part of him wanted to comfort her, somehow feeling as if he were to blame for her discomfort, but Neji held himself back, like he always did. Hinata was his wife now, and had been for the past three weeks. But the idea was still new in his mind, and Neji still had not a clue of how to be whenever he was around her.

He still hadn't perfected the art of talking to her, and wouldn't for some time he imagined, and he still didn't know the way he should act around her. There were so many awkward moments when he considered reaching out for her, like he'd seen so many couples do, but then he would hesitate and the moment would pass and he'd be too late. And there were several times when neither he nor Hinata were sure how close to stand to one another when in the same room, how close they should sit while occupying the same couch, and things were especially strange at night in the bed they shared. So far they'd spent a few nights with Hinata in Neji's arms, and a few where they'd slept with their backs to one another, nearly as far apart as they could be, because of the frequent awkwardness.

The best nights, Neji thought, were the ones in which he and Hinata could talk quietly, at ease with one another, when things were casual and simple. They'd fall asleep content, neither of them worrying about playing at husband and wife.

That night was different though. It was as if something inside of Hinata had snapped, and she'd broken to pieces while Neji wasn't looking. He didn't see how that could be though - he'd watched her closely since her father left, and she'd seemed fine, though unusually quiet. But when she crawled into bed after returning from the private bath house they shared, she just sat there, watching him. Neji was always the first person in bed at night, because Hinata liked to take her time in the bath house.

He turned to her, puzzled. "What is it?" he asked, and the flickering light of the candle flame danced across his wife's pale face. With the smallest of blushes that he didn't even have time to take note of, Hinata suddenly leaned in and kissed him.

It was a strange, strained sort of kiss though, and this time her lips stayed pressed firmly to his, as if she were determined to make this longer than the few pecks they had shared before. Her trembling hands reached for his robe at his chest, and began pulling it from his shoulders. He felt a tear hit his face.

Neji shoved her off. "Hinata," he said in surprise, and she shrank away from him. "What's... what are you doing?" His heart was pounding inside his chest. What had that little episode been all about? He felt heat flushing his face.

"I... just...." She was sobbing quietly now, but they were rough sobs that shook her entire tiny frame. She hardly got out the two words she had spoken, and she was hugging herself tightly. Neji wondered, how many times would he see her cry?

He grabbed her gently by one of her wrists, and pulled her into him. Hinata leaned into him gratefully, crying onto his chest. He couldn't remember her ever hugging him so tightly before, as if she would die if she ever let go. In silence, Neji tentatively ran his fingers through her hair. He'd never done that before, but eventually, Hinata seemed to relax under his touch. It was as if she just melted, all the energy to cry slowly draining out of her. Then she sat back, and Neji sort of missed the warmth of having her in his arms.

"I'm sorry..." she said even more quietly in her already quiet voice. the tears kept flowing, as if a dam had broken behind her eyes, and she sniffled a few times.

"What were you thinking?" he asked, though he suspected he already knew. Hinata stared down at the bedspread, not answering. "You're still thinking of the things uncle said today, right?"

She nodded, tears dripping down her reddened face. Neji sat back, wondering what was the right thing to say.

"Don't pay any attention to any of that," he said finally, and Hinata looked up at him. He smiled a half-felt lopsided smile at her - she liked it when he smiled, she'd told him so, and he could see it in her eyes anyway. "Forget all that about producing an heir. Uncle said one thing today that I agree with; we're still young. We've got plenty of time to worry about that later on."

She nodded sadly, and sniffed again, but she still looked a little down. "We just got married..." she whispered, as if she were remembering it all over again.

"Exactly. Let's just focus on that for now."

It was quiet again for a moment, and Neji was at a loss of things to say now. Hinata looked like there was something still troubling her, something different now. "I'm sorry," she eventually said. "I... did something really stupid didn't I?" She bit her lip. "I shouldn't have... I just embarrassed myself. I'm sorry."

"Hinata, if you don't stop apologizing..." Neji said with a grimace. "You don't have to keep berating yourself you know. You're human, you're allowed to make mistakes." Something in his words darkened her expression though, and for a small moment, he was worried that she was going to start crying again. She held it in though, and Neji reached out and stroked her face. Her cheek was still burning with embarrassment, he could feel it under his fingers. She reached up, and squeezed his hand, and then finally Neji snuffed the candle out. It was one of the nights where they fell asleep in one another's arms again, and while it wasn't Neji's favorite kind of night, he had to admit, it was a pleasant way to drift to sleep.

* * *

.::.

_"I shouldn't love you,_

_but I want to..." _

_.::. _


	6. Touched

_**Disclaimer: **__I still don't own Naruto. And I don't own Neji, or Hinata either. Actually, they own each other now, and are still trying to puzzle out if that is a good thing or not, but we all know they belong together. ;) _

* * *

Hinata laughed lightly, and it was good to hear her sounding so light hearted. Refreshing, and a little sad. Neji hadn't yet informed her that the Hokage had assigned him to an S-ranked mission, and that he'd be leaving in less than a week. Idly, he wondered how she'd react to the news, but he liked these already delicate moments too much to shatter this one. It was rare whenever he and Hinata could lay and talk like this, being themselves without a care or worry in the world. Sometimes they even held hands now while they talked, or Hinata would lay with her head in the crook of Neji's arm.

They were on the bed at the moment, just lying there. It was still early in the day, and there wasn't a whole lot to do. They'd considered going to the courtyard to practice with one another - they did so almost daily now -but ultimately, they'd turned down the idea. Today was one of the rare days when neither of them had to train with their teams, though Neji's reason for that was more because of the mission he and his team were about to embark on. They still hadn't even been informed of the details yet, and wouldn't be, until the morning they left Konoha.

Neji smiled, and suddenly it hit him how much smiling he'd been doing lately. It was... unexpectedly nice to share his everything with someone. He actually didn't mind having a wife, but he was thankful that it was Hinata, because she wasn't annoying at all. She had her share of problems, as did he, and she cried a lot, but Neji was always there to comfort her in his own way, in any way that he could. Still, he felt that perhaps he and Hinata had finally hit that connection. It felt like they were standing on the same level with one another now, as if they were equal, and things were good, even when things were bad.

Little things about his marriage kept surprising Neji. For instance, he was surprised at how easily he had adapted to having someone see the side of him that people usually didn't live to witness. In a place of familiarity and comfort, Neji acted differently than he did in public. He'd known before hand, but Hinata had noted it for herself as well, just now. "You seem so relaxed whenever you're here," she continued in that quiet voice. "I've never seen you act this way before. It's a little funny."

A part of Neji wanted to scoff at her quiet observation, but he couldn't keep the smile from his face. He'd never thought that he'd ever be this much himself around anybody, but what could one do to prevent it when around another human being for every second of the day and night? It was kind of relieving though. He was glad to have Hinata. As shocking and as sudden as the marriage between them had been, Neji thought that it was turning out for the better. In fact, he thought that Hinata was the only one he would want to be this way with. Probably, if left to make the decision on their own, Neji might have ended up asking her to marry him one day anyway. Or at least, he liked to think so.

He told her as much.

Hinata smiled a big, genuine smile, and hid her face in her pillow like a little girl. "You seem happy," he noted, and she revealed her face for him again. "I'm glad. I was worried that this whole thing would make you miserable." He absently toyed with a strand of her hair.

"So far so good," she agreed, and she slid closer.

As time had gone on and as time continued going on, things were slowly getting easier for the two of them. It took less effort to show affection to one another. Sometimes, they even kissed at unexpected moments, catching one or the other off guard, but it was always a nice surprise.

Neji no longer hesitated to put an arm around her, or take one of her hands in his. And thankfully he thought they had finally seen the last of those awkward nights where they slept far apart, too uncomfortable around each other to scoot any closer.

Suddenly there was a noise from downstairs. "I do believe someone is at the door," Neji said, a little unpleasantly.

Hinata laughed ever so lightly at the disdain in his voice. Lightly kissing his cheek, she sat up from her place on the bed, where she had been laying next to him for the last hour or more.

Unsurprisingly enough, the person at the door happened to be Hinata's father. Ever since Neji and Hinata's marriage, the man claimed to be missing his daughter more and more, and it must be true with the amount of times he ended up at their door. It had been about a month since that particularly unpleasant visit from him, and ever since that day he had thankfully no longer mentioned anything about Neji and Hinata producing children. At least that made a little piece of Neji's life easier.

Neji was right behind his wife as she ran downstairs to answer the door, and smiled at him from over her shoulder, running playfully from him as he tried to grab her around the waist. They had used to play this same little game of catch when they were little, and somehow it just seemed natural for them to do so now as well. It felt so easy, like an old habit that they had picked back up.

And so, Hinata was laughing when she pulled open the door, and she and her husband had already guessed correctly that it _was _in fact her father. And Hiashi, under normal circumstances, would have been pleased to see his daughter so carefree and happy, but his face was somber when she allowed him in.

As if the happy atmosphere had suddenly died away, the air became quiet, and smiles disappeared from Hinata and her husband's faces. By the expression on Hiashi's face, it was obvious that the man had bad news to bear, and he directed an intentionally harsh glance at Neji. "Come," the man said, and led his daughter by the shoulders to table in the kitchen. Wondering if he were invited in on it as well, Neji reluctantly followed. At a look from Hiashi, he sat down at the table across from the man, and took one of Hinata's hands. She glanced at him, worried, and then back to her father. Hiashi's gaze flickered from daughter to son-in-law, and finally, he sighed.

"Hinata," the man said. "You seem so carefree, so I think I would be correct in thinking that your husband hasn't yet told you of the dire mission he is leaving for in just a mere matter of days?"

Hinata's eyes grew wide, and she turned a half unbelieving stare his way, while Neji felt his own expression darken. "What?" she asked, and the color drained from her face. "What kind of dire mission, Neji?"

He sighed calmly, and squeezed her hand gently. "I don't know yet. We weren't given the details."

"Don't you think it a little too soon to be cutting out of your marriage for something like this?" Hiashi interrupted in a loud voice.

Neji stayed silent, and Hinata also said nothing. She knew as well as he that once given a mission, there was nothing that a ninja could do but accept. "I am a ninja of the Leaf Village," Neji explained slowly. "It's my job, my duty to go. I thought that you of all people, uncle, would understand that."  
"Yes, believe me I do understand that Neji, my nephew. But you are _just_ married. Look here, at this beautiful flower," and he cupped a hand beneath Hinata's delicate chin. "You have everything that you need right here. You shouldn't be out risking your life so soon into-"

It was Neji's turn to interrupt. "It was going to happen some time, we all already knew that," he scowled.

"Yes, of course. And you _should_ do your duty as a ninja, for your village as well as for your family. But you are barely two months wed. Are you so ready to make your new wife a widow?" Hinata made a tight, choking sound.

"Now you're just scaring her," Neji said in a dangerous tone, squeezing Hinata's hand again. "I will come back alive, I've been on too many dangerous missions like this before. And because of my new wife, I'll only be that much more determined _to_ come back alive."  
Hiashi's deep pale eyes searched Neji's face for a moment, reading him for any slight chance that he might be bluffing, or less determined than he seemed. Finally the man nodded. "Alright," he said quietly. "But you be sure that you stick to that. I don't want to see my daughter go through something so terrible at such a young age." The man stood then. "I will go now, and leave you two to talk things over."

Neji glared at the man's back. "Don't you think it would have been better for her if I'd told her myself?" he demanded.

Hiashi glanced at Neji from over his shoulder. "You took too long, so it couldn't be helped. And anyway, I had to see how determined you were to come back to her alive."

Hinata stood then, her eyes a little clouded over, as if to follow her father out, but Neji kept a hold on her hand. They would let Hiashi see himself out this time.

However, with the other man gone, things in the large house became unusually quiet, and the place suddenly felt too unusually empty. The atmosphere became alien, as if where Neji was now was not the same place it had been just a moment ago. It was almost like that night all over again, he and Hinata's wedding night, the first night they'd stayed here. And Hinata looked every bit as upset. "You're... really leaving?" she asked quietly. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"The timing was never right," he said, his eyes to the table. He stroked her palm absently with his thumb, and it seemed Hinata was about to cry.

Honestly, Neji hadn't known that she'd be so upset about this mission of his, and had she found out under different circumstances, she probably wouldn't have been. But Hiashi always had to stick _his _nose into things, and make a great mess of things. They'd been having such a pleasant day, just minutes before. That's what Neji had been hoping for in the days before he left. It was enough to deal with knowing that he was about to go on a dangerous mission, without having to put up with stress at home on top of that. He didn't want Hinata to be upset about it. He wanted them to be at ease again.

"I'm sorry," he said simply.

She made a little gasping sound, and he looked up to see unshed tears in her eyes, and she had the back of her other hand against her lips, elbow propped up on the table, as if she were stifling sobs. "It's okay," she said after a minute, turning to him. "You're a ninja, you have to go."

"I hadn't expected you to be so upset," Neji admitted.

"Of course I'm upset," she replied quietly, and now she was the one staring at the tabletop. "You're my husband. We're just getting comfortable here, and you're leaving, and you might not come back."  
He smiled slightly, and brushed the side of her face so that she'd look up at him. "There's no chance of that," he assured her. "I'll always come back."

She nodded, but her eyes said that she wasn't sure if she believed him. "When do you leave?" she asked.

"Four days," he replied with a sigh.

"Wow," she breathed. "That's so soon." She began to wipe the last of her tears away. "I didn't expect you to be leaving."

"Sorry," he said again.

Hinata shook her head sadly, and they sat talking at the table like that for a very long time.

* * *

"Your hair's getting long," Neji commented while they lay in each others arms that night. It must grow fast, because when they'd married, he specifically remembered her hair being only shoulder-length, although he wasn't really sure why he'd remember something as insignificant as that.

"Yeah," Hinata agreed sleepily. "I'll have to cut it soon."

It had taken a couple of hours after Hiashi's departure, but the atmosphere around Neji and his wife had eventually calmed, and settled back to normal. Hinata was fading in and out of consciousness, curled up against his chest now. Days when she cried always seemed to exhaust her, and she slept so soundly those nights. Funny that they'd only been married for about two months so far, and Neji had already picked up on small things like that.

Well, if he would share the rest of his life with this woman, he might as well observe everything about her that he possibly could. If she were going to take half of him, then he wanted to know everything about her, and he wondered tiredly if she'd let him have half of her in return.

"Neji," she said suddenly, sounding a little more awake. "Is being married anything like you'd imagined it would be?"

"Not really," he replied. "I thought somehow it'd be more... painstaking than this. Harder."

It was so long before she replied that Neji wondered for a moment if she hadn't fallen asleep. "It is a lot easier to be with you than I'd thought it would be," Hinata quietly agreed. She raised her face to him then, and he kissed her waiting lips. Content, Neji Hyuga's wife finally drifted off to sleep.

For Neji himself though, as tired as he was, sleep was more difficult in coming. He struggled to force himself into unconsciousness, while his body felt the need to stir restlessly, which he couldn't do for the sleeping Hinata in his arms. Hiashi's words from earlier in the day still bothered him a bit, and the look that had been on Hinata's face.... He wondered if it really were such a good idea to leave her for such a serious mission while it was still so early in their marriage. He had promised her that he would come back alive, and of course he would, but he didn't even know what his mission was yet, or how long he was going to be away. Neji didn't want to feel like he was leaving his wife behind at home alone all the time.

How had his father done it, he wondered? Even as a member of the Branch House, Hizashi Hyuga had been one of the most respected ninja of the Hyuga clan. He'd been able to do his duty for his clan and village, and had still had time to love his family. But would Neji be able to do the same?

And so, still pondering this, Neji fell into a deep, troubled sleep.

* * *

Neji woke the next day feeling cold, and had opened his eyes to see that the reason behind it was because Hinata was not at his side. That was odd. Neji had always been the first one up. Then he pulled back the curtain and peeked out the window near the bed to see that dawn was just barely falling upon Konoha. It was still pretty dark outside.

Suddenly gripped by an irrational choking sense of fear, wondering where his wife must be, Neji got up out of bed to look for her.

It didn't take long to find her. She was standing out in the front yard, staring into the sky off to the north. There was a quite a storm coming in from that direction. Even from so far away, Neji could hear the distant, quiet thunder. "What are you doing out here?" he asked Hinata, putting his hands on her shoulders. He felt her stiffen and hesitate, then she leaned back, into him, still staring up at the sky.

"Neji, I'm worried," she told him after a moment. "I don't want you to go on this mission. I want you to stay here... with me."

He was quiet at that. The events of the day before were still fresh in his mind. "You know it's my duty to go."

"And it is your duty to love me!" she exclaimed quietly, and she spun to glare at him accusingly. The fire, the spark of anger inside her eyes, dissolved as quickly as it had appeared. "I'm sorry, that didn't come out quite right."

"You're right though," he agreed.

She examined his face for a moment, and he wondered what she must see there. Did she see the face of a man whom she had been forced into marrying? Or did she see a man whom she really loved? "But you're still going to leave," she noted sadly.

"Yes." He nodded. "I have to."

"But you promise you'll come back?"

"Swear it," he vowed, and he rested his forehead against hers.

Suddenly, Hinata looked up, and her eyes observed the curse seal upon his forehead there, as they sometimes did. He could always see the guilt quite clearly in her eyes. He knew she felt bad for that mark being there. He understood now that she had probably never willed it there in the first place, though he'd used to hate her for it. Without a word, she sadly stretched up onto her very tiptoes, and planted a gentle kiss there over the mark. Then, she hugged herself close to his chest, and Neji held her tightly, a little puzzled, but for the most part, deeply touched.

* * *


	7. And So, He Leaves

_**Disclaimer: **__I own nothing of Naruto_

* * *

Were they still only playing now, or did they really mean it?

It was a new idea. But Hinata thought, sometimes the boundaries between acting like husband and wife, and actually being husband and wife, became a little clouded. She wasn't sure of what was real anymore. When Neji smiled at her, those small relieving sort of smiles, were they real? When he held her to him at night, was that real? Hinata had hoped that through this marriage, maybe, just possibly she and Neji would be able to develop love between one another, but it was slow going, and her heart was impatient.

Here she was, a married woman, and she somehow she felt as if she weren't doing her job quite right.

Oh Neji was doing well enough, as it was so in everything he did. Being her husband was his duty, and he would do his duty, he had told her that himself. But how sure of her was he really? It was impossible to know. He was so damn quiet. He kept nearly all of his thoughts to himself.

And he would be leaving tomorrow.

Hinata took a deep breath, and sank down lower into the steaming water of their private bath house. Just as Neji had his little clearing, this was Hinata's place of quiet and thinking. This was where she could be alone each day, and worry her little head off without worrying about other people seeing.

She didn't like the fact that she cried around Neji so much. Crying was just something Hinata did, and quite often actually. But she'd told herself when she found out that she was to be married, that she would be a good wife, and she'd be strong, and she wouldn't cry. But in the two months they'd been together, she'd already cried too many times to remember, and Neji was always there, watching silently. He usually did manage to comfort her, or cheer her up. She just wish she didn't feel so useless to him.

And her father still expected a child from them.... She sank even lover into the water, as if she could hide from everything if she just slipped beneath the surface and never came up.

On one side of her was the quiet, smiling Neji, and on the other was her father prodding her in the back. What was she supposed to do with those options?

And though her father didn't say anything about it anymore, he still cast significant glances her way every time he came over to visit. He'd eye her stomach in an obvious way whenever Neji wasn't looking, and she's blush and turn away. She _wanted_ to make her father proud... but a child? Really? She wasn't sure she could handle that. Not anytime so soon. And she thought that Neji understood.

Hinata's mind raced through everything that had happened between her and Neji since their marriage. So much time had passed so quickly, and things were slowly getting better. One other thing that she hoped for in entering marriage was that she might be able to shed away some of her shyness, but so far that wasn't going very well. She still blushed often, stuttered a little, but she was becoming a little more comfortable around her husband. True enough, she and Neji had known one another since childhood, but she couldn't say that she was entirely used to being around him.

Kurenai-sensei had pulled Hinata aside the other day, just before Neji showed up to walk with her home from training. _"How are things?" she asked cautiously. "Between you and Neji Hyuga, I mean?"_

_Hinata blushed, and shrugged a little. "Things are getting better."_

_"Is he... nice to you?"_

_"Of course," she replied. The question surprised her a bit. Of course Neji was nice to her. "He's... more than nice."_

__

Kurenai-sensei closed her eyes for a moment , and then looked directly into Hinata's face. "Are you sure Hinata? I remember too well that day of the Chuunin exams. He nearly killed you."

"Neji's... not like that anymore...."

_"Do you love him Hinata?"_

_  
Heavy sigh. "I don't know yet."_

The steam in her face was staring to choke her a little bit, so she sat up properly in the bath again. Her shoulders felt cold when she did. Kurenai-sensei had advised Hinata to seek her out if there were ever any trouble at home. _"You remember where my apartment is?" _Hinata remembered, but at the time she honestly hadn't thought that she'd experience many serious problems in her marriage.

Or at least, she knew she wouldn't experience any of the problems that Kurenai-sensei suspected. Hinata's sensei didn't like Neji. She thought badly of him, it was obvious enough.

But now Neji was going on this mission... an S-rank. How was Hinata supposed to feel about that? She would miss him - dearly - while he was away. This house would feel so empty without him. She was not used to being here alone, and she began to fear how many times he would be away on missions like this. He was still a ninja, and Hinata was still a ninja as well. There was a great possibility that one day she'd be leaving him at home to go away on a mission herself.

What would she do at home alone every day during the upcoming weeks? How long would Neji be gone?

She shivered as she got out of the bath. Usually she'd stay longer, but she wanted to spend as much time with Neji as possible that night. After all, he'd probably be gone by the time she woke the next day. And she would probably cry. It made her heart heavy just thinking about it.

Neji was sitting on the edge of the bed when she came to their room. He was staring at the wall across from him, looking as if his mind were a million miles away. He didn't even notice her step in. "Neji?" she called quietly, and he turned her way, his expression as unreadable as ever. Hinata sighed heavily. She'd never been able to read him. It was impossible to know what he was thinking.

Hinata crossed the room on bare feet, until she stood before him. He looked up into her face, not saying a word. "What are you thinking about?" she asked. It seemed to be a question she was asking frequently these days.

"Tomorrow," he said shortly.

She nodded sadly, and took one of his hands. He watched with silent eyes as she pressed his hand against her face. She didn't think she had to tell him that she would miss him. Neji reached around her waist then, and pulled her down, into his lap. She blushed in surprise, and he kissed her.

"I'm sorry," he said after that. "I shouldn't be leaving."  
"You have to," she quoted him, and he nodded.

"I'd say I'd be back soon, but I have no idea how long I'll be gone."

"I know."

For the first time in a while, things were suddenly awkward between them again. Hinata was uncomfortable sitting in his lap, and she worried if she were too heavy. And his eyes were on her again, and she didn't know what to say. With an embarrassed sort of sigh, she rested her head against his chest for a moment, then stood. "Maybe we should just go to bed," she said quietly, although she really didn't want to. The thought of waking up alone the next day haunted her mind like a disease.

Hinata crawled into the blankets on her side of the bed while Neji turned down the oil lamp they had in their bedroom now. It was a moment before he laid down though, and Hinata was really beginning to worry about whatever it was he was thinking about. She did that often though. She _never_ knew what he was thinking, and it always made her nervous.

When he did lay down, she lay close to him, and he slipped an arm around her. That was normal at least. Hinata was more tired than she had thought, and in no time she was dozing peacefully.

It seemed like only moments later, but it must have been hours into the night, when Hinata stirred from a dream she couldn't remember. Still mostly asleep, she was pondering about the dream, though she couldn't recollect what it had been about, and suddenly she remembered that Neji would be leaving, and here she was asleep. She jerked awake, and found herself face-to-face with her husband.

Moonlight was streaming in through the bedroom window, and he was awake, and his eyes were on her. She blushed when she realized that he had been watching her sleep. "Bad dream?" he asked quietly.

"Something like that," she replied. Despite the fact that she wanted to stay awake, her eyelids were already getting heavy again. Neji watched as she struggled to fight off sleep.

"You don't have to stay awake," he said when she let out a sleepy sigh.

Hinata considered that. She really was tired. "Promise me you'll wake me up before you leave?" she asked.

He gazed at her a moment with those pale, serious eyes, and finally nodded. "Yes. I'll wake you up."

"Okay."

She was asleep again before she knew it.

* * *

It must have been a mere few hours later when Hinata felt a gentle hand shaking her awake. Her eyes opened drowsily, and she saw Neji, already fully dressed, leaning over her. She gasped quietly, and sat up. He was sitting next to her on the bed.

"I'm going now," he said flatly.

Why was there never any emotion there? Not in his face, or in his voice. Sometimes she thought she caught a glimpse of something in his eyes.... But why couldn't he at least look a little sad to be leaving now?

"Okay..." she said, looking down at the bedspread.

Neji lifted her chin so that she would look up at him, and he kissed her. It was a lingering sort of kiss. When Neji finally tried to pull away, she pulled him closer. He didn't fight it, but she still wondered what he must be thinking.

When they parted, Neji touched a small strand of her hair. He looked up at her hair, and half-laughed. Bed hair. She worked to smooth it. "I'll be back," he promised, accompanied by a serious nod. And then he walked out the door, and Hinata was alone.

* * *


	8. With You Gone

_**Disclaimer: **__No Naruto owning here._

_**A/N:**__ Okay, so here's the thing. In my Naruto stories, I really don't like making up the details of missions that the characters in the story go through, unless it has something major to do with the plot. I'm simply not that creative._

_So, I'm really not going to say much about what Neji's doing. Will the basics be enough to satisfy you? Cuz that's what you're gonna get._

* * *

_"If there are ever any problems at home, just come to me."_

Hinata looked up at the building that was her destination. Somewhere among those windows was Kurenai-sensei's place.

_"You remember where my apartment is right?"_

Hinata remembered the building. It was the apartment number that she was going to have trouble with. Well, she'd just have to ask the doorman... if there was a doorman. Hinata took a breath, and began to move her feet forward.

It had been two days since Neji's departure, and Hinata was... well... bored. After he'd left, she _had_ cried, and dreading what the day would be like without him there, she'd gone back to sleep. Hinata had stayed in bed as late as possible that day, but eventually was forced to get up when here father came knocking on her door. She'd known that it was him before she even reached the stairs, of course. And she hadn't bothered to get out of her night robes before answering the door. That was probably why her father looked at her so strangely at first. He hadn't commented on it though.

_"Hinata, how will you be with Neji gone?"_

_"I don't know father."_

And of course, he'd asked about a child. He and Hinata both knew that the topic made Neji angry (and that always made Hinata feel horribly guilty... is that what Neji wanted, or did he just not even want to think about it?) so he never mentioned it whenever her husband was around.

He'd done it differently this time though. He'd just flat out _asked_, probably the best way to embarrass Hinata.

_"Are you pregnant yet?" he demanded._

Her father's voice echoed in her head, and a little blood rushed up to her cheeks at the memory. Jeez. Why did it matter to him so much anyway?

"Hinata?" The sound of her sensei's voice brought her back to where she was. Hinata looked over to see that the woman herself was walking up to her in the street. Well, that saved Hinata the awkwardness of having to talk to a doorman, or the embarrassment of not knowing which apartment to go to. "Looking for me?" Kurenai asked with a small smile.

Hinata returned the smile. "Yes," she replied. "Ah... I couldn't remember which apartment was yours," she said, gesturing up to the building.

Kurenai-sensei laughed at that. "Well, just follow me. We'll have a cup of tea, and talk."  
"Yes, okay."

As soon as they were actually inside the apartment though, Hinata thought her sensei was going to attack her or something. "Shut the door behind you," the woman had said absently as they stepped into the living room, and Hinata did as she was told. As soon as the tiny click sounded, which told her that the door had closed completely, Kurenai turned on her. "Is everything alright Hinata?" the woman asked with a worried frown. "Neji... didn't do anything did he?"

Hinata, surprised at the sudden change in the atmosphere, shook her head numbly. "No, sensei it's not like that. I was just bored, and..." no, that would sound rude. She changed up her sentence. "This is just a visit, sensei. Nothing happened." Except that Neji had left, and Hinata was somewhat clueless of what to do without him around. She didn't know how to be a wife whenever her husband wasn't around.

"Oh..." Kurenai said slowly. "Well, then I apologize for that," she said with a tiny smile. "You just worried me, showing up so unexpectedly."

Hinata laughed nervously. "Yes, well... Neji was assigned a mission, and he left a few days ago... the team hasn't been practicing much so I don't really have anything to do."

"I see," the woman replied conversationally. "Well you're always welcome here Hinata. Why don't you make yourself comfortable?" She gestured to one of the couches. "I'll fix us that tea."  
"Alright sensei."

"You'll have to forgive me," the woman called from the kitchen. "It's not exactly the neatest apartment."

Hinata laughed. "That's alright sensei. Our house isn't always the cleanest either. I'm not much of a... housewife, yet. Father keeps insisting on giving us some of his servants, but I think it would feel too strange."  
"Listen to you," Kurenai said as she sat across from her on the other couch. They had to wait for water to boil. "'Our' house, you say. And talking about being a housewife. You've really gotten used to it haven't you?"

"Well, it's been two months," Hinata explained with a smile.

"True. Still, I wouldn't know what it's like. I've been single since...." She thought for a moment. "Well, anyway I just couldn't imagine being married. It must be pretty tough."

Hinata nodded in agreement. "It can be... sometimes. Especially when my father comes around, and asks us when we're going to have children...." Despite the casual way she tried to say it, a blush crept up onto Hinata's face.

"I see," Kurenai said again. "And what do you think, Hinata? Surely you and Neji aren't already trying to have children...?"

Hinata's blush intensified. "No," she said simply.

Kurenai sighed. "So, other than that, how is the married life?"

Hinata smiled slightly. "It's good. For the most part. It's... awkward... sometimes. But we're getting used to it."

Kurenai smiled. "I really can't see Neji Hyuga as the husband type."

"Well, it's Neji.... It's his duty. And he excels at almost everything he does anyway."

"I suppose. Ah. I better check the water for the tea."

And as she left the living room, Hinata glanced out the window, looking down into the populated streets of the village, and wondered... what was Neji doing right now?

* * *

Sleeping on the ground again. Great.

Neji had to admit, he was definitely missing home. And how strange was it that he'd already gotten used to the house where he and Hinata lived together being "home"? Well of course he'd already gotten used to it. He'd known he'd eventually have to anyway.

Ah yes. Neji Hyuga. True to his duties, embracer of the inevitable. And he was kind of missing his wife. A little. Maybe.

For the most part he kept his mind on the mission at hand, but it was now, as he laid out his sleeping bag in the dirt, that he thought idly about his wife. He'd been with her every day for the past... well, ever since he'd been told that they'd have to marry. It was his first time since then being away from her for very long, so of course he'd feel a little, strangely out of place. Neji sighed. There was, for now, no way to know when he and his team would be back in Konoha. A scroll had been stolen from the Leaf Village, and they were hunting it down. Who knew how long it would take?

"Missing Hinata?"

The voice brought Neji out of his thoughts, and he turned to look at TenTen, who was the one who had spoken. She smiled, and gave him the peace sign. He sighed again. Unlike Hinata, TenTen was already used to Neji's unusual silence. As for Neji himself, well he didn't even realize that there _was _anything unusual about his strange emotionless-ness. Anyway, TenTen made light of his usual silence. She was perky, and most of the time she got on his nerves.

Neji glanced over at his other teammate, who was setting up his own sleeping bag next to his sensei's. Well, at least TenTen wasn't _nearly _as annoying as those two. He felt like rolling his eyes when Lee finished his work, and Might Guy gave him a smile and the thumbs-up, as if he'd really made an accomplishment just by laying out a sleeping bag.

But as Neji sat in preparation for his usual everyday mediation - because he needed it when surrounded by people like this - he couldn't help but wonder, what was Hinata doing right now?

* * *

And so, the days passed silently and uncomfortably - far more uncomfortably than any day had been while Neji was actually there. The house was cleaner than ever, thanks to Hinata's free time and boredom. Not that Neji had ever taken up much of her time while he'd been there. She just didn't like to clean whenever she could be doing something else, like talking with or sparring with her husband.

Hinata was feeling a little out of place these days, like her life was unbalanced without Neji there. The bed was cold at night from where her husband wasn't there keeping her warm, and it wasn't the same eating supper at the large kitchen table that was meant for the two of them. And Hinata had taken up a strange liking to reading books. Konoha had a library, after all, and she spent much of her time in town, or in the court yard sparring with Hanabi, or she went to practice with her team, or talk with her sensei. Hinata didn't really care where she was or who she was with as long as she wasn't in that cold empty house. Nights were nearly unbearable. What could she say? She was lonely. She had gotten too used to Neji there.

She was already looking forward to him coming home, and already dreading the next time that he would leave.

Thankfully, though, it wasn't as miserably unpleasant as she'd predicted it would be. In spending time with other people, Hinata for the most part was able to keep her mind off of Neji and his absence, and after a while she had even managed to develop a new daily routine. She got out of bed in the mornings and didn't glance at the empty place next to her. On the particularly lonely nights, she'd sleep on Neji's side of the bed, and sometimes she thought she could even smell him there. (Before his departure, she hadn't really been aware of his scent, but now she missed it.)

And her time in the baths were cut short by quite a bit. She enjoyed soaking, of course, as any woman did, but what was the point of it being her thinking place when now she had the whole house to herself to think? Neji wasn't there to see if she worried too much.

Hinata wondered if Neji missed her at all, or even thought about her much. Probably not, she thought. He'd have his mission on his mind. He was always the serious type. And he always did things thoroughly. He wouldn't have time to think about her until he was back home, and that made her a little depressed.

Slowly though, things became more normal without him around. Two weeks had passed uneventfully already, and Hinata thought about it less and less, though she still worried for his safety. She had not a clue what kind of mission he was on, but it was sure to be dangerous. She wondered, what he alright? And what kind of state would he come home to her in?

Hinata began contemplating paying the Hokage, Tsunade, a visit, and as the days passed, she finally gathered up the guts to do it.

"Hinata Hyuga to see you," Tsunade's assistant said while Hinata waited outside the Hokage's office door. She heard Tsunade grunt in acknowledgement, and ask to bring her in.

A little nervous now, Hinata entered when she was beckoned inside. Tsunade turned to her from looking out the open window. "Yes Hinata?" she asked in that firm tone of hers. Well, she had to be firm. She was the Hokage.

Still, Hinata gulped hard. She always did this whenever she wasn't used to being around certain people. She always took the tone of their voice or something that they did as if they were angry or harsh with her. She constantly had to remind herself that some emotions people expressed might not exactly be because of _her _or something _she _did. Hinata took a breath, and concentrated on not stuttering when she spoke. "H-Hokage-sama." She bowed respectfully, feeling shaky all over from nervousness. Tsunade made a gesture as if she were waving away an annoying fly, and Hinata gulped again. "You... you sent my husband on a mission," Hinata explained carefully. "I don't want to know the details or... anything like that. I just want to know when they might be back... if you could tell me... please." She bowed again.

The Hokage sighed deeply, and made a tightlipped expression. "I'm very sorry Hinata, but even I don't know when that might be. The mission that they are on is time consuming for the most part, but for Neji Hyuga I imagine it shouldn't be anything particularly difficult." She paused, then said, "I do apologize for taking your new husband away. I believed that he would be needed for this particular situation."

"I-it's alright Hokage-sama," Hinata replied, staring down at the carpet. So not even the Hokage knew how long it might be.... "Neji is a ninja. And so am I. We knew that we'd have to do things like this from the start."

Tsunade nodded in agreement. "So are things... alright between you and Neji then?" she asked, though her tone was still firm. She was in full-out Hokage mood today.

"W-we're doing... as well as can be expected," Hinata replied, and hoped that didn't sound too negative. So far she and Neji were probably doing better than as was expected (though as far as her father was concerned, they weren't doing their job yet. ugh.)

"Mm," the Hokage said. "And was that all you needed Hinata?"

"Y-yes. I apologize for taking the Hokage's time."

Tsunade shrugged, and finally cracked a smile. "It's no problem at all. Actually it's quite nice to have a little distraction every now and then." Hinata nodded a little. She didn't know what to say to that. "And besides," Tsunade continued, "it was nice to see you Hinata. And congratulations, by the way. It's a little late in coming but...." She half shrugged.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

And so, Hinata left with a heavy heart, all the sudden feeling exactly the way she had the very day Neji had left. She hadn't realized how much of her Neji had taken when they'd said their I do's.

"Hinata!"

She looked around to see who had called her name. It had been Ino. The blonde girl was standing with an arm interlocked with an annoyed-looking Sasuke's, and Sakura was standing on the other side of the Uchiha boy. The two girls were smiling and waving, and a little ways behind them was Naruto gesturing happily for Hinata to join them. Hinata smiled to herself. It was good to have friends. And momentarily forgetting about Neji and the Hokage and all of that, she walked their way.


	9. Home Once More

_**Disclaimer: **__Does anybody really ever read the disclaimers? They're pretty much pointless anyway, don't ya think? I wonder why I keep continuing with them then.... Huh._

_**A/N: **__p.s. if you see any typos, please don't hesitate to tell me ^^' I myself absolutely despise typos...._

* * *

Neji came home on a Wednesday. The Wednesday following Hinata's discussion with the Hokage, as a matter of fact - just three short days afterward. Hiashi showed up at Hinata's door to give her the news. As the leader of the Hyuga clan, any type of important news was thrown his way, and he knew many things much longer before anyone else could even guess. He didn't knock this day, he just called inside the house for her. Hinata had been in the kitchen, absentmindedly cleaning the plate she'd used for her lunch. She was thinking about the day before, when she'd spent time with Naruto. Before, she had been too afraid to do such a thing, fearing that her old feelings for him would creep up on her again and she'd be taken off guard. As a married woman, she couldn't let that happen.

Surprisingly, though, it hadn't been like that at all. Naruto was... just a friend, and that made her glad. Hinata was comfortable with, and happy to label Naruto Uzumaki as a close friend. They had spent time at the ramen shop, of course, seeing as it was Naruto she'd been hanging out with. He'd questioned her about her marriage and how things were going, and unlike times when other people had asked her, Hinata had found herself opening up to Naruto, and eventually she'd ended up telling him all about her problems and the things she worried about. Naruto had taken all her words into account, and his watchful eyes and the way he listened had sort of reminded her of Neji, and rather than her previous feelings for Naruto coming into the open, Hinata had found herself missing her husband more than ever. She'd cried a little bit, and Naruto had cheered her up with his usual silliness.

Anyway, Hinata had run to the open door when she heard her father's call, knowing that he would have heard if any news came about Neji and his mission. It was also unusual that her father hadn't knocked, and that's what really made her nervous. He'd been leaning against the doorframe when she ran to him, wide eyed. "What is it?" she asked, and a note of worry expressed itself in her voice.

"Neji and his team have returned," her father had said in a reserved sort of voice. "They were seen outside Konoha just an hour ago. Their mission was a success, of course." He stood straighter then, as if to leave. "I just thought you might be glad to know."

And, truly, she had been. Neji was finally home. And now that it was true, she wasn't sure how to feel about it. She had spent two and a half weeks becoming accustomed to the fact that he was gone, and missing him terribly, and now he was home again, and she didn't know how she should be.

Unable to sit or stand or do... really anything, Hinata waited for him in the front yard, pacing restlessly, and biting her nails - an old habit she thought she'd gotten rid of long ago. And then he was there, walking toward her. At first glance he looked like he needed a bath, and his clothes had been slept in, but otherwise he seemed fine. Hinata's plan had been to rush dramatically into his arms the moment she saw him - because she really had missed him - but now that he was standing before her, she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

That was when she noticed something unusual. His hand was sticking out from beneath his coat at an awkward angle, and as he came closer, she spotted the edge of a white cast and sling. "Your arm..." she said once he was standing before her.

He shrugged, looking down at her with those serious eyes of his. "It's broken," he said simply, as if it were nothing at all.

"It... doesn't it hurt?" she asked, honestly curious. How could he be so passive about something like that?

"Not since they set the bone," he replied, with the tiniest hint of a smile.

Hinata cringed. That sounded unpleasant, but he seemed to mean it. "I'm glad you're okay," she whispered. He tilted his head a little in acknowledgment of her words. Ah, quiet Neji. He never spoke more than he had to. Though his silence had never failed to puzzle her, she was surprised to find that she had missed it. "I missed you," she said simply, with a little sigh. She made a gesture with her arm as if to say, _well that's just the way things go._

Suddenly, Hinata thought she saw it again. That look, that emotion behind her husband's eyes. "I missed you too," he said seriously.

And she believed him.

* * *

Neji's broken arm was a bit of a nuisance, but seeing as he was otherwise unharmed, and that a broken arm was really nothing _too_ serious, Hinata figured they could work around it until it healed. Neji being Neji, though, he still seemed to do everything flawlessly. Every daily activity, even sparring with her, seemed to be effortless for him, broken arm or no. Hinata felt like rolling her eyes, and at the same time, smiling with relief.

Then, quicker than she could have imagined it would, everything fell back into place. Neji was home, and everything was normal again. Hinata was warm at night, she spent up to an hour in the bathhouse, and the house felt alive again. "I heard that your mission... was a success?" she asked as they lay in bed that night. They hadn't turned down the lamp yet, because Hinata wanted to read, and Neji didn't mind. He was just glad to be sleeping in an actual bed again, he said.

"Yes, everything went very well," he replied, though he was scratching around his cast again. He had complained that it itched like mad.

Hinata smiled warmly; it was the first time she felt like a smile had reached her eyes in weeks. She touched his leg lightly (it was beneath the blankets), and he smiled back a little. She liked those half smiles of his. She had told him so, a few times before she thought. Hinata was lying with her head at the opposite end of the bed, spread out with her book lying practically forgotten before her. She couldn't concentrate with Neji there anyway. She was more interested in conversation, though usually she wasn't the conversational type, and neither was Neji.

"Come here," he told her suddenly, and in surprise she did as she was told. Once she was over to him though, he grabbed her with his good arm, and held her close. Hinata felt a warm blush come over her face, but it felt nice. "Hm." Neji said with a tiny sigh. He didn't need say any more than that though. She hugged him tightly back, and then they parted, but Neji kept his arm comfortably around her.

Hinata rested her head on his shoulder, and snuggled close to him, pulling the blanket over her legs. She didn't really know what to say at this point, and she figured that he didn't either, or else he was keeping up his usual silence, but this time it wasn't awkward at all. They were each happy enough to have him home that neither of them thought that anything could ruin this night.

Hinata made a face. "I hope you don't have to go away again any time soon," she said.

Neji sighed heavily. "I hope the same, Hinata." He paused then. "You might have to go some time too, you realize?"

"Yes, I know. But I don't want to think about that."

He nodded silently.

And suddenly Hinata had to wonder again, was this real? This comfort that she felt in his arms. This... perfect calm, the relief to have him home. She'd been wondering about what was real and what was not, on that night before he had left. But when she looked up at him questioningly, and he looked back, she knew that it was true. In this moment, they weren't just playing at being husband and wife. She still didn't know if she loved him or not, and she didn't think that he loved her (yet?) either. But that was okay, if they were able to share simple times like this.

Somewhere in his quiet, she sensed him wanting to know why she was looking at him like that, and she smiled a little. He smiled back, just a bit, but she still felt that he was puzzled. Ignoring that, she put her head back down, and hid her face in his shoulder.

* * *

So Neji was back home, and that was a definite plus. He'd become quite exhausted with sleeping in the mud. He was sure, almost one hundred percent positive, that he hadn't seen the last of those days quite yet, but for the moment it was just pleasant to be sleeping in his bed again. And it was pleasant to have Hinata in his arms. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder some time ago, but the lamp was still burning, and her book was face down at the end of the bed, marking her place. And he wasn't quite sure what to do. His arm itched, and he couldn't exactly move with Hinata sleeping on him.

So, he finally contented himself with meditation, though he wasn't quite used to this particular body position when doing so. Still, he managed, and with more ease than he even had on his mission, because he was _home_, surrounded by all the familiar smells, and the very feel of the large house that was his and Hinata's alone.

Still, it felt strange to him now, to know that just a few short months ago he couldn't have even thought to imagine this sort of situation. To be married and have a home with his cousin, of _all _people. But somehow, somewhere inside him, he was glad that it had all happened. He was content with being Hinata's husband; happy.... If sharing half of himself was what _this_ meant, this feeling, then he thought, it was probably one of the greatest accomplishments of his life. He could understand now, a little maybe, how his father might have felt with his mother, when they had both been happy and alive.

Neji cleared his mind then, and eventually drifted off into an - even though uncomfortably positioned - comfortable sleep.

He woke some time in the night, to sounds he couldn't quite place. Usually Neji would wake at the slightest sound or feel or movement around him - he was anything but a heavy sleeper - but somehow Hinata had already managed to slip out of his arms and douse the lamp and crawl back into bed without his waking once. She eyed him now, as she became comfortable under the blankets, and he scratched at his arm as he followed suit.

"I didn't mean to wake you up," she whispered.

He shrugged. "It's quite alright," he said quietly back.

It was impossible for Neji to put his arm around his wife in the places that they lay, because of his broken arm, but Hinata seemed to be content just being close to him. And the damn cast kept itching. He wondered if he'd be able to fall back asleep now. Actually, he felt somewhat restless all the sudden. He didn't want to sleep, he didn't even want to lie down. Carefully, so as not to wake Hinata, who was already sleeping, he sat up, and picked up her book from where it lay now on the nightstand next to him. With his good eyesight, Neji didn't have to strain himself to see the words in the moonlight. He flipped through the pages to the place where a folded piece of paper was keeping her spot, and read a sentence or two.

Neji didn't understand everything that was going on in the dialog of course, because he didn't know the characters at all, but he pretty much got the gist of what was going on. Halfway down the page, he snorted. The conversation between the two people in the book had something to do about one of them, who'd gone on an apparently perilous, life-threatening journey, to return home to his one true love. The girl in the story was now confessing her everlasting devotion, something along the lines of how her heart had contained such a great secret love all this time.

Neji looked down at his sleeping wife, the sounds of her even breathing a relief in the night. He'd missed that sound while he was away. But he wondered now, why on earth was she reading such a story? True, he'd imagined Hinata as someone who wanted love and deserved it, but he'd never taken her for the romance novel type.

With a quiet sigh he put the book back in it's place and laid back down to see if he could sleep again. And eventually, though he wasn't aware that he was drifting at all, the sounds of his sleeping wife's breathing rocked him to sleep like a well-known lullaby.


	10. The Cold Wilts Every Flower

_**Disclaimer: **__No ownage. =)_

* * *

Winter was upon them. The autumn had been pleasant, but it always passed so quickly. The leaves had all turned orange, died, and fell from their limbs as if the trees had all had diseases, and the first ice storm of the season was now raging its way outside. Hinata watched from the kitchen window with a frown. She didn't care much for winter. The snow was beautiful enough she supposed, but it was cold, and Hinata didn't _like _being cold. She shivered just thinking about it, seeing those dancing crystals of ice water falling to the already covered ground.

She'd have to convince Neji not to talk her into sparring with him again for a while. Training with her teammates was going to be unpleasant enough from then on without practicing with him making her even more miserable.

"You don't like the snow?" Neji said from a few feet away. He didn't make it sound like a question.

Hinata startled from her unpleasant musings. She hadn't realized that Neji was back in the kitchen. They had just had supper, and she had unhappily volunteered to clean up afterward. Might as well pile on the misery while it was still waving in her face from the other side of the windowpane.

"Not really," she replied with a sigh.

"You're shivering," he noted. She shrugged, and he crossed the room to put his always warm arms around her - well, one of his arms, since the other was still in a cast. Too distracted by the gloom that was falling from the sky, she didn't react to it at all, as she normally might have. "What's the matter Hinata?" he asked.

"I just don't like it," she said sadly, gesturing to the snow.

"Ah." He was quiet for a moment. "Well, then perhaps you should stop looking at it," he said, and he turned her around, and pressed her close to his body, though she wasn't quite sure how he did it, with just one useable arm.

Hinata allowed herself a small smile as she leaned into her husband. This feeling was always pleasant, even if it was misery outside. Neji was always warm, and Hinata was now more grateful for that than ever. She'd need someone warm to last her through the winter.

She absently traced a finger down the cast of his broken arm. "Is your arm feeling any better?" she asked, and he grimaced slightly. She knew that the cast still bothered him. He had even told her one night that he had half a mind to take the thing off, whether his arm were broken or not.

"I suppose," he replied. "I really don't feel it at all."

"Mm," was all she said. He'd be able to take the cast off in a few weeks anyway, and she knew he was looking forward to that, though he never actually said it out loud.

Hinata was proud of herself. Everyday she was learning more and more how to cope with having Neji Hyuga as her husband. Oh she liked it well enough, but finally she was becoming comfortable with his silence, and once she was at that point, it was easier to read into it. Sometimes she could even tell what he was thinking without him having to say anything. It was quite an accomplishment for Hinata, and she silently congratulated herself every time she was aware of it.

It had started with his return from that mission, when she'd realized that she had missed his silence. At the time, she'd been so happy to just have him around that she hadn't minded the quiet at all, and that was when she'd puzzled it out. If she paid attention, and didn't shy away from it, she figured things out much more easily. And Hinata knew that those strange, puzzled looks she sometimes gave him - whenever she was trying to figure out his thoughts - confused him, but neither of them ever acknowledged it.

And now Neji was releasing her from his grasp, and he glanced around the kitchen. "I see you haven't managed to get any of the cleaning up done," he commented quietly. "I can do it. I know how much you hate it-"

She cut him off. "No, don't," she insisted. He also knew that she hated seeing him doing anything even the slightest straining on his body when he had a broken arm like that. Especially when he cleaned. It made her feel like a bad wife, letting her injured husband do house work. "I'll get it done," she promised.

He just looked at her for a moment, and silently she knew that he was considering whether he should just leave her alone about it or not. She smiled the tiniest bit, feeling triumphant. She was finally reading the always unreadable Neji. Anyone else just wouldn't be able to comprehend how big a step that was.

And then she thought, _well, it had to happen sometime_. How could she have gone through the lifetime of this marriage not ever understanding what was on her husband's mind?

"Alright," he finally said, seeing that expression on her face again. Hinata quickly turned away from him, to retrieve the dishes from the table. She smiled at him as she passed him again on her way back to the sink, and he sat at the table, watching her silently as he always did. And she didn't mind so much the feeling of his eyes on her back anymore. It had made her uncomfortable for quite a while, even after his return, but now it hardly bothered her at all. Still, she had to wonder the things he saw when he watched her. What were the things he notice about her? What were the things he liked? Did she ever do anything that he didn't approve of? She supposed that one day, perhaps she'd know the answer to those questions too.

She and Neji spent the rest that afternoon mostly in silence. Hinata dreaded going to the bath house that night, and in fact she'd stood at the door with her bathing items, and had weighed the pros and cons of stepping out into the snow, even for such a short distance. Ultimately though, she knew that she wouldn't be able to _stand_ crawling into bed that night if she weren't fresh from a bath, and she'd finally steeled herself into going out there. Neji had watched her from behind again, and she knew he'd been a little amused by her actions.

Hinata stayed in the bath for as long as _possible_, where it was all nice and steamy still, because she just knew that the snow and the cold would be that much worse whenever she finally did step back outside. She'd brought extra clothes with her in preparation for that very reason.

When she did, finally, make it back home, she immediately shed off her extra clothes, which were covered in snow, and ran upstairs as fast as she could, as if she could escape the cold by simply leaving it at the door. She was surprised to find that Neji was still waiting up for her, considering how much longer she'd taken to bathe than she normally did. Nevertheless, Hinata made her way quickly to her side of the bed, and pulled the covers up even up over her head, to bury herself in the warmth that his body had created.

Neji cringed slightly away from her freezing form, she could tell even beneath the blankets. "You're freezing ," he commented.

"I get cold very easily," she replied, knowing that her voice was muffled by the sheets. Neji chuckled at that, and pulled the covers back to reveal her face. "There's a piece of snow in your hair," he noted.

"Ugh." And she pulled the blankets back up, feeling as if her nose and ears would turn blue and fall off if she didn't.

Suddenly, Neji buried himself under there with her, and she blushed when his face found itself inches from hers. She hoped he couldn't see it - the redness of her face - in the darkness, so that for once he might think she wasn't just a silly girl who became embarrassed too easily.

"Quite cozy under here," he remarked in a playful tone. But the words seemed so out of place on Neji Hyuga's serious face that Hinata laughed. He was being silly tonight, which was... almost frighteningly unusual. She hadn't thought that silly Neji existed.

He scratched at his arm with a grimace then, and Hinata quickly took his free hand from it. The skin around his elbow there was already red and bare from where he scratched at it constantly. "Just tell yourself it doesn't itch," she said with a quiet smile.

"Yeah, I'll get right on that." And he cracked her favorite half smile, and after a moment, she laughed again. Sarcastic, silly Neji- what a rare sight. She played with his fingers for a moment, tracing the lines of his palm, and he let her. She did this sometimes, without really even realizing it, because usually her mind was somewhere else whenever she did it. "Hinata," Neji said suddenly, and serious Neji was back.

"Yes?" She looked back up at him, and was surprised once again how close his face was to her own. She hadn't even realized yet that she was completely warm again, and would probably be quite comfortable out of the covers already.

"You always say that you never know what I'm thinking. Why don't you let me into your mind for once?"

She considered that for a moment. Was there ever really a time when her emotions didn't play out clearly on her face? Because she suspected that they usually did, because Neji - and everybody else in the world - always seemed to know what she was thinking. He must not be able to tell because of the darkness beneath the covers. "I was thinking about how you're being silly tonight," she said quietly, and she smiled at him.

He smiled back, but didn't say anything.

"You seem happy," she continued.

"Yes," Neji agreed. "I believe I am."

"That's a relief anyway."

"Are you happy?"

Again she considered, but she didn't have to think for very long. Her smile widened just a little. "I believe I am," she whispered, quoting him. As she had the night before he left for that mission, she put his hand to her face, and he brushed the still damp hair from her cheek.

"It's good to know," he replied quietly. Hinata thought, she'd never seen him smile quite like that before.

* * *

Thankfully, the snow had managed to blow itself out in the night, but Hinata still sighed heavily when she glanced out their bedroom window and saw the inches of white powder covering everything in sight. Neji was lying next to her still, which surprised her, but he _was _awake at least. "How long have you been up?" she asked, wondering why he'd stayed there if he was perfectly conscious. Normally he got out of bed long before she did.

"A while," he replied with a shrug, and he did look quite awake. "I didn't feel like getting up." That was unusual. "There's nothing to do. I don't want to go outside with snow on the ground." Ah. That was it. She had figured that Neji liked to go outside and practice on his own every morning while she slept, but she'd never known for sure.

"And..." he continued, "I figured you'd be cold if I got up."

She blushed a little at that. It's true, she was cold every morning without Neji there. He was her warmth, always. "Well... thank you," she said shyly, unable to meet his watchful eyes. Though she no longer minded him watching her so, she did sometimes feel as if those eyes of his saw too much. She didn't want him to watch her whenever she was embarrassed or sad, but he always did.

Neji made his way out of bed, and after a minute, Hinata did the same. She wasn't used to this, either. Usually she took the opportunity of him not being there to get dressed in the mornings, and figured that he did the same whenever she was sleeping. Obviously Neji hadn't considered that either, because to prove her thinking, he glanced back at her, and she thought that she actually saw a little red there in his cheeks.

Still, Neji went about his business as if nothing were different from any other day, and to her astonishment he began to undress right there in front of her. Eyes wide enough to pop out of her head, Hinata lay back in bed and hid her face until she was sure that he was properly dressed. In the sudden awkwardness of the moment, he didn't say a word to her as he exited the room. Heart pounding in her chest, Hinata waited a few minutes, and after a while, finally found the strength inside her to get up and get dressed herself.

What a morning.

* * *

Neji and Hinata spent most of the winter days on the couch or in bed or at the kitchen table, usually with Neji's arms around her slim shoulders because she was always so damned cold now days. The quiet was always nice. He watched her while she read - a habit that she hadn't been able to shake off after he had come back from his mission, even though the trips to the Konoha library were especially dreadful. It continued to snow on and off as time went on, and the once blue sky had hid itself depressingly beneath gray, gloomy looking clouds, which was quite discomforting.

Neji always stayed in bed with Hinata now until she woke, but his wife had also taken note of the fact that he now got up and got dressed _before_ she awoke - a fact for which she was very thankful.

Quiet as always, Neji never interrupted her reading, he simply watched her, and at first it had been difficult to concentrate, feeling her husband's eyes upon her, but she had soon grown used to that as well. But then one day, he did interrupt her, and it actually surprised her quite a bit. He must have been watching her facial expression for a good moment, though, because she was at a boring part, and didn't mind being stirred from it.

He was sitting behind her on the couch, one of his legs at her side, and the other dangling over the edge in an uncomfortable looking way. He seemed at ease though, playing idly with her hair, which he didn't do very often. It was a little embarrassing when Hinata thought about the fact that she was sitting in between her husband's legs, but she was quite comfortable leaning against his chest like that.

Neji reached over her shoulder, and placed a finger on the book crease, tracing it as if absentmindedly. Distracted, Hinata turned her head slightly to see his face, and he wasn't looking at the book, but watching her of course. She wasn't sure why she had been expecting his eyes to be anywhere else when she turned to him. "Why do you read books like this?" he asked quietly. "I wouldn't think you liked romance."

Hinata shrugged. "I don't know," she answered honestly. Truly, she hadn't thought that she'd like romance either, but she'd been desperate to distract herself at the time of Neji's absence, and she'd been short on choices. "I guess it's just something every girl does."

"Hm," he said, and that was the end of that conversation. Hinata wondered if he ever read any of her books from behind while he watched. Those days _must _have been boring for him.

And she had been right about the days when she had to practice with her team. They were absolutely, terribly, depressingly miserable. If she hadn't been so cold at every moment, she would have been in tears. Actually, she sometimes shivered too hard to do anything but stand as still as possible, or sit crouched down on the ground while her teammates and sensei practiced around her. They all looked at her with sympathizing eyes, and Kiba was constantly asking her if she was alright. Hinata collapsed one day during practice. Shino had been rushing at her, and suddenly she seemed to not be getting enough oxygen, and her world went black. The next she knew, there was snow in front of her face, indicating that she'd fallen to the ground.

"Is she alright?" she heard Kurenai-sensei ask in a worried voice.

Kiba's face came into her circle of vision - she wasn't strong enough in the cold to use her Byakugan - and for a moment he looked worried. However, when he saw her blinking up at him, he smiled a bit, and pressed a finger to the end of her nose as he said to sensei, "I think her nose is going to fall off. But yeah, other than that she seems fine." Akamaru barked apprehensively at her other side. The little dog had grown on her some time after she'd joined up with this team, and sometimes it seemed Akamaru looked out for her as much as he did for Kiba.

Kiba reached over her to pet the dog's head and tell him it was alright. As if to make matters worse for her, snow began drifting from the sky.

At home that night, she'd cried in frustration instead of reading, but Neji still held her close. She was still shivering a little from the cold, and she demanded to know - why did her teammates seem perfectly alright in the snow, while she shivered and fainted?

After a moment of her crying, Neji had shrugged, as if indifferently. She looked up at him, knowing that that meant he had something to say. "You're just like a flower," he explained as if it were obvious. "You wilt when there's not any sunlight."

Hinata looked up at him for a moment, then leaned her head against his chest again, still sniffling, but so grateful to have him there that her heart could almost burst.


	11. For the First Time

_**Disclaimer: **__I wonder what would happen if I did claim to own Naruto?_

_...Just to be safe, I don't claim it at all._

* * *

Hinata woke with a start in the middle of the night, her mind locked onto the images in her head.

It had been her first-ever dream about Neji. He'd gone away again on another mission and never came home, and then she'd had that strange falling sensation, as dreamers sometimes do. Then her body had seemed to automatically jerk her awake, just before she hit the ground. Hinata had heard of this sort of occurrence before, but until that night it had never happened to her personally, and it took her a moment to calm her wildly beating heart.

Once she had settled down a bit, and the last of her anxiousness began to dissolve into the air around her, she looked over at her husband, and marveled at his sleeping face.

Due to the way circumstances always turned out, the fact that he fell asleep after she did and woke long before she did, Hinata had never actually seen Neji asleep before. The sight nearly broke her heart. His dark hair fell around his pale face, and he breathed evenly in and out through slightly parted lips. The curse mark upon his forehead stood out in the faint moonlight, but tonight it seemed less angry than usual. Usually whenever she saw it, Hinata felt guilty, as if it were there purely to mock her. Hinata herself had never wanted anything to do with that mark, but it was such a sure part of Neji's life. Maybe one day she'd find a way to remove it forever. She hoped that she would.

Still, the moment was too perfect to be ruined by even that mark, and so Hinata lay her head on her pillow, and watched him, completely absorbed in the sounds of his gentle breathing. She felt as if she had somehow switched roles with her husband. Wasn't Neji usually the one who was watching _her_ sleep? She wanted to laugh, but knew that any slight thing would wake him, and she didn't want that quite yet.

Hinata wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it couldn't have been all that long, before light began to make its way into the room. The sun was rising behind the clouds again. Hinata wondered if it would snow that day.

And slowly, Neji began to stir.

Unsurprisingly, he did not move around very much in his sleep. (Obviously, he was not the tosser-turner type.) But it did take a moment for him to rouse himself. Hinata watched in quiet wonder, as first he turned onto his side, his face coming close to hers so that she had to scoot back a little. Then his eyes opened, but they didn't seem to focus for a moment. When they did, and he saw that she was awake, his brow creased momentarily. "Something the matter?" he asked quietly, and his voice sounded so strange, so peaceful and silent in his waking up, that she just wanted to keep the moment with her forever.

"No," she said, with a tiny smile that her face summoned up all on its own. "I had a dream and woke up."

He inclined his head curiously at that, and then like any normal human being, he closed his eyes and turned sleepily back into the mattress. It was so strange, and a little funny, and a little awe-inspiring, to see Neji Hyuga like this. Hinata suddenly decided that she _liked_ the sarcastic, silly Neji, but loved sleepy Neji the best. It was too... precious - though if she ever called him that out loud he'd probably never look her straight in the eye ever again.

After a moment, Neji glanced up out the window, and saw that the sun was still struggling its way into the sky. He rested his head with a little sigh. "It's early," he noted. "You can still go back to sleep for a while if you want." With a gentle, tired hand, he reached out and stroked her cheek.

But she shook her head. "No. I don't want to." And then she thought for a second. "I'll keep my eyes closed while you dress," she promised, and went on and buried her face into her pillow. But because of that, she missed the tiny amused smile that crossed Neji's face at her words.

So Neji dressed sleepily, and then sat back onto the bed. "I think I've become too used to lying in bed with you," he commented, then sighed again. "I'm not ready for the day yet, I think."

Deciding that Neji speaking to her meant that it was safe to look again, Hinata brought her face from her pillow, and turned her head so that she could look up at him. "You're getting your cast off today," she reminded him with a smile.

And Neji smiled too as he remembered. "I'm quite looking forward to it." He paused. "But I still think I'd rather lie down for a while."

Hinata lifted the blankets next to her invitingly, and with a little smile, Neji crawled back under with her, holding her close to himself.

* * *

There was something different about that night, when Hinata finally made her way to the bedroom from the bath house. Thankfully, it hadn't snowed very much during the day, but that didn't mean it was any less cold outside, and she was quite looking forward to being close to Neji's warm self once more. Her husband was sitting cross-legged on the bed when she came in, rubbing at his not-broken arm in relief. He'd been glad to have his cast taken off in Konoha earlier that day, and according to one of the doctors there, he'd healed perfectly. It had been a clean break, which meant no problems had occurred.

When Neji noticed her standing there at the door watching him, he showed her a small smile, and Hinata suddenly fell into one of those rare moods of ease and perfect comfort that sometimes came over her. Somehow, it felt as though she were several pounds lighter than she had been just a moment before, and it was easier to breathe too, as if a great block of bricks had been removed from upon her chest.

Neji seemed to catch onto Hinata's good mood - because simple things like that were always contagious - and when she crawled over to him, he put his arms around her back. Their lips met somewhat impulsively, surprising the both of them a bit. And after a short moment of this, they did not separate, as they normally would have. Hinata blushed as Neji's tongue founds its way around her mouth, and a warm shiver raced its way over her. Hinata suddenly felt a strange surging sort of sensation in her chest then - something that she'd never experienced before, and it scared her a little bit. She pressed herself even closer to her husband, her arms around his neck as her hands buried into his long hair. His hands were pressing into the small of her back, bringing her as close as she could have been.

And that was when Hinata realized what it was - that feeling in her chest.

Passion.

* * *

...

* * *

The first thing that came over Hinata when struggled into consciousness the next morning was that she wanted to put some clothes on. And then she became aware of Neji, their bodied still tangled together in a way that made her blush, even half asleep as she was. Neji, of course, had awoken long before she had, and he must have felt her sudden tension, because he rubbed her arm in a comforting sort of good morning gesture.

Hinata couldn't force herself to open her eyes though. She was too afraid to face her husband yet. So instead, she bit her lip and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, hiding her face in her pillow as she usually did whenever she was really embarrassed. ...although, "embarrassed" didn't quite cover this one.

She shifted uncomfortably away from Neji's body, lying in a way so that she was pressed more against the mattress than she was against him. Neji seemed to understand her silent discomfort though, because he scooted away from her a little, quietly keeping his arms around her shoulders.

Finally, Hinata risked a peek at his face. He was watching her closely, of course, examining her own expression in silence, and he inclined his head as if to ask if she were alright. Hinata bit her lip and hid her face again. "You're going to hurt yourself if you bite your lip any harder," he commented quietly. And, momentarily annoyed with him, Hinata wondered if what they had done the night before had had any affect on him at all.

Hinata shook her head quickly, and pressed her face even deeper into the pillow as a flash of particularly intense memories from the night before came flooding back to her. A small panicked sound escaped its way through her throat, and Neji softly asked if she were alright. "I'm fine," she responded quickly, scooting farther away when he unconsciously came closer to her again. "Please get dressed."

Sensing the distress in her voice, Neji hesitated, but he did get out of bed then. Hinata waited, and after a moment she could hear the sounds of his getting dressed on the other side of the room. She blushed brilliantly for her pillow, trying - and failing miserably - to fight off the memories. Finally, his side of the bed sank in the slightest bit as he sat down next to her. Hinata glanced up again, and, thankfully, he was fully dressed, because she really didn't think that she could handle any less than that for the moment.

His eyes were worried... even a little guilty, and she blushed brighter.

Of course, Hinata was perfectly aware of the fact that... intercourse... was something that a husband and wife was supposed to do, and that in their previous months of marriage, it probably should have happened sooner. Somehow those thoughts didn't comfort her in the least.

And as Neji stared down at her, the situation suddenly seemed surreal, and Hinata's irrational side decided to make an appearance. She felt as her frown became replaced by a tiny, relieved smile, and abruptly she snorted with laughter, covering her face shyly with her hands. Really, she wasn't sure at all what she found so funny about this. The moment was just so awkward, and it was just so hard to believe that she and Neji had actually....

She waited until the tiny wave of laughter subsided, and peeped at Neji from between her fingers. He was staring at her with uncertainty now, the strangest expression on his face. And she laughed again. "Is something funny?" he asked, and she could sense that he was puzzled, though it didn't touch his face at all.

"Not at all," she replied honestly, but it ended up sounding sarcastic seeing as the laugh was still in her voice. It felt good to laugh. It took the edge off of the situation.

* * *

As if summoned by some sense of phenomenal change in the air, Hiashi showed up at their house that day, ironically enough. It was around noon when he came, and the man quietly watched and took note of Neji and Hinata's silence. Things were still decidedly awkward between the two of them of course, especially for Hinata, though she tried to act as normal as possible. And every time that Hinata blushed, for, apparently, no reason, her father's eyes always seemed to bore into hers.

"So...." the man said suddenly, leaning back in his chair. There hadn't been much conversation since he'd arrived. But Hinata didn't like his silent watchfulness. It reminded her too much of Neji, and that it was Neji's job to watch her like that, not her father's. She didn't like it. "Anything... new... happen lately?" he asked, throwing a note of emphasis over the word "new."

Hinata was grateful for the fact that she had her back to him at the time, because she flinched visibly when he said that. "Not really..." she replied in what she hoped was a casual sounding tone. She quickly cleared her throat, and suddenly she could feel Neji's eyes on her as well. For one short moment, Hinata just wished that she could disappear.

"I see," her father replied, and when she finally turned back to look at him, there was a silent smile dancing across his face - almost as if he could read her mind or something. Hinata knew that he was waiting for an opportunity to say something about exactly what he thought had happened that was ..."new," and she tried to avoid it. However, as soon as Neji's back was turned, her father's eyes flickered meaningfully down to her stomach, and she blushed brightly.

Hinata wanted to tell him to stop doing things like that so much, that he should stop interfering with this new life of hers all the time and making such high demands. Didn't he have any idea what he was suggesting from an _arranged_ marriage? Didn't he know that those things took _time_? She just wanted to shove him right out of her house, and tell him not to come back until he could stop with all of this nonsense.

But Hinata being who she was, she simply turned away, not saying a word.

It wasn't until later that day that a new, disturbing thought came to mind, and for a while Hinata berated herself for even thinking of it, because now she knew that she would worry constantly until she was certain about it. She and Neji were on the living room couch again, and he was sitting forward, his now non-broken arm draped around her shoulders as she leaned into him. Her book was lying closed and forgotten in her lap as new ideas danced in her head. Hinata stared out into the miserable snow with a blush on her face, and hoping that Neji wasn't watching so he wouldn't try to understand whatever she was thinking.

But Neji could always be depended upon.

He must have guessed by now what the random blushes were about, that the memories of what they had done kept sneaking up on her unexpectedly, and so he didn't say anything whenever he noticed her face go red. He was forced to speak up, however, when tears started to fill her eyes. She'd tried to fight them off, because she didn't want to cry again, and she didn't want to think these thoughts that were filling her head.

"What's wrong?" Neji asked simply, and she could almost feel the ice cold tension in the air. Neji was anxious, and she... well she was kind of a wreck, but that was normal for Hinata. She knew that Neji had been watching her all day, as he always did, and all day the only thing he wanted to know was if she was alright. Hinata never had an answer for him though, so she never said anything about it, and of course Neji wouldn't bring up the subject. He stayed silent about most things.

"N-Nothing," she replied.

He grimaced. "I don't believe you."

"I know." But she stayed quiet. Maybe she didn't want to know the answer to her question. Maybe it was better left unsaid. It would eat her alive from the inside out without knowing, but would she even have the guts to say it out loud? And even if she did, she'd just regret asking anyway wouldn't she?

Hinata picked up and opened and closed her book several times, but became frustrated after a while, because she couldn't concentrate on the words a single time. She could have been looking at blank pages for all that was read. "Neji," she said finally. She sat up so that she could change positions, her arms around him so that she could hide her face against her husband's chest. He held her lightly, waiting. "I-I... was wondering if... I was... good enough... for you... l-last night."

She felt his body tense as her question struck him. Hinata flinched, wondering if she would like his answer or not. One of Neji's hands stroked her face absently. "Of course you were," he muttered.

But he didn't sound very sure of himself, and Hinata had to be positive.... "Are you sure?" she whispered, swallowing back the tears that threatened to start up again.

"Absolutely." He lifted her chin so that she would look up at him, though she wanted to hide her face forever. There was a small blush on his own face, but his eyes met hers unwaveringly. "You really shouldn't think so poorly of yourself all the time."

For a moment she wasn't sure how to reply to that, and then she shrugged lightly. "Habit, I guess."


	12. What They Weren't Expecting

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Naruto =)_

_**A/N: **__I just realized, Neji's a total creeper in my story isn't he? o_O He just follows Hinata around watching her all the time._

* * *

Neji sighed heavily, though there was no one around to hear, and assumed the position on the bed he normally took whenever there was something particularly stressful on his mind. It had already been two days since that night he and Hinata had shared, and still his wife was unusually quiet throughout the days. Otherwise she was normal - except for the times that she would blush, seemingly without a cause - but all the sudden she didn't seem to know how to act around him either. Suddenly it was as if they were back to the days just after their marriage, and Hinata wasn't sure how to talk to him or even look at him. She was especially hesitant to show any sort of affection at all, and that made it difficult for _Neji _to know how to act around _her_.

And so, Neji sat at the edge of the bed, his elbows on his knees and his hands folded pressed to his lips. The normal sure signs of stress to anyone who might be watching, and he wasn't aware of the fact that Hinata was already standing in the doorway, looking in on him. When finally he did notice her there, the first thing he took note of was the strange distant look in her eyes. A small blush made its way upon her cheeks, but she didn't look away and she didn't come closer. "Hinata?" he asked, curious, and as if the sound of his voice had been some sort of cue she'd been waiting for, she moved. Her hands made their way up to her night robe, and she let the fabric fall from her shoulders.

Neji's eyes widened the tiniest bit as she stepped toward him, and he could feel the heat crawling up into his face. He quickly became even more bewildered when Hinata settled next to him, and threw her arms around him, her lips locking with his own.

Neji pushed away a little. "What are you doing?" he demanded quietly, careful not to look anywhere other than her face.

Hinata made a funny expression, and suddenly looked uncomfortable. "This is the only way... I can think of... to get over it," she explained in a whisper, and it sounded as if she were trying hard not to stutter. Without waiting for a reply, she kissed him again, and Neji groaned inwardly. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Time passed quietly, and nothing that could be accounted for with any significance happened for a while - it was probably another two months later, actually . Winter continued to rage outside the window, and Hinata watched sometimes, somewhat depressed, though she had to admit to herself that the snow was very pretty whenever it wasn't blinding her. Thankfully, spring should be coming soon enough. Sometimes Hinata thought she could actually feel it in the air.

Things had easily slipped back to normal between Neji and Hinata, though they no longer spent every minute with one another. He still liked to hold her at times, and play with her hair, but it didn't occur with as much frequency as before. That was okay though. Hinata figured that it had to happen sometime, and anyway they had the rest of their lives to spend with one another.

Now she was cleaning - a detestable chore, as she made her way around from the kitchen to the living room. It wasn't as if there were much she had to do though, seeing as there were only two people living in this house, and they didn't accumulate much filth between them. The worst thing she had to worry about in a house so big was dust gathering in the rooms they didn't use, and Hinata wasn't used to dust - her father had always had servants, and she'd lived her life in a house that was virtually spotless.

Hinata wasn't much of a cleaning kind of person though, and so when she saw the dust, she simply threw down the rag she had grabbed for it, and gave it up. Neji smiled at her from the couch, and she walked over to him, promptly sitting in his lap. Her husband trapped her with his arms and chuckled in her ear.

Yes, things were good. They were happy. They didn't know that everything was about to change.

The next morning, Hinata suddenly awoke with a particularly uncomfortable feeling stirring somewhere inside her. She lay there for a moment, trying to figure out through the fog of sleep what on earth was going on, but only long enough to realize how early it was. Even Neji was still asleep. He certainly did wake up though, when Hinata shot up almost violently from where she lay in his arms, and ran over to the small tin they had thankfully been keeping in their room for collecting trash.

She threw up twice, and held the nausea back with a small whimper afterward, eyes wide open. Hinata hated throwing up so much. She could feel her arms shaking as she gripped the sides of the tin as tightly as she thought she could. Then she heard Neji slowly making his way toward her, and she closed her eyes quickly, ashamed. He crouched next to her on the floor, and Hinata wanted to just hide from him. How excruciatingly embarrassing. Mortifying, really. Hinata felt disgusted with herself.

"Do you need to see a doctor?" Neji asked quietly, and after a moment, she shook her head.

"I feel fine now," she whispered honestly, removing her hands from the tin. Her stomach felt decidedly settled now, as if it were just any other normal morning. In fact, the only thing indicating that she had thrown up at all was the awful taste in her mouth. Yuck.

But she still couldn't look at Neji. "I'll clean this up," she said quietly, and tears of frustration began to make their way down her face. Why did these things always have to happen to her?

"It's alright," Neji replied softly, wiping some of her tears away. She turned her face from him, sniffling a bit.

Throughout the day, Neji watched her more carefully than usual, and whenever Hinata ate something, she judged how her stomach felt just before. She was quite determined not to throw up again, so she was careful about what she consumed.

However determined though, she actually found herself rather ravenous throughout the day, and ended up snacking lightly as she went through her daily activities. And she could feel Neji's eyes on her all the while, as if trying to figure out if she really felt alright or not.

It wasn't until the morning after _that_, before Hinata really started suspecting anything. She awoke with a start, rather abruptly. _Oh no!_ She could already feel the sickness coming on.

And there she was, at that tin throwing up again. Neji, despite being so rudely awakened for the second time in a row, was at her side in an instant, tiredly keeping her hair out of her face. Hinata felt the color drained from her face, and tried to choke back the tears.

That was when she finally though of it, her mind suddenly racing to remember the last time she had had a period. Hers liked to skip around sometimes though - that was just the way her body had always worked, and so she hadn't really thought anything of it when she'd reached the monthly time and nothing happened.

Eyes wide, she sat hard on her bottom. "Neji..." she said breathlessly, and she could feel his eyes on her in curiosity, but she was taken too off guard by her sudden thoughts to even turn her head and look at him. "I think...."

* * *

Neji awoke to the feeling of his wife scrambling out of bed again, but he'd been half expecting it this time, so he didn't really find it as bizarre as he had the day before. He went to her again, this time before she was completely finished, to keep her hair back. He didn't think that Hinata would like it very much if she got sick-up in her hair. Probably it would be rather unpleasant.

Neji yawned widely. He couldn't say that he was particularly sleepy, because he was used to getting up rather early, but still he though he wouldn't mind to creep back into bed. He glanced back at Hinata then, and watched curiously as the strangest expression quite suddenly broke its way across her face. More interested now, Neji watched closely as her eyes began to widen, wider, and wider, but she said nothing. Her breath was being sucked inward tightly, as if she were gasping one big, slow gasp - one with such significance behind it that it didn't even make a sound.

Her eyes impossibly huge, he watched as Hinata sat back onto her bottom. All the color had drained from her face, but she looked as if she were having one hell of a revelation, so Neji didn't interrupt to ask what her thoughts were.

"Neji," she finally breathed, and the set of her mouth twisted in a funny sort of way. "I think...." He watched as she placed a hand lightly upon her stomach, and something in that one small gesture made Neji suddenly think that there might be more at work here than just a simple stomach virus.

His own eyes wide with shock now, Neji's entire body stiffened with sudden stress. Like the day that Hinata's father had informed him that he and Hinata were to wed, Neji was too shocked to speak, feeling as if his world had rather suddenly been flipped upside-down by this new... idea.

Hinata turned to him slowly, but her eyes were unfocused. And there they sat, for who knew how long, each of them with all their body parts locked in place by this unexpected thing that was about to change their life together forever....

* * *

It was just after sunrise, and they were in the kitchen now, still quite speechless. Neji had one of his wife's hands loosely in his own, but her other kept sneaking up to rest on her stomach, and every time she did it all the color in Neji's world seemed to change. Suddenly he wouldn't be able to breathe again until he reminded himself to.

They had spoken enough to one another so far to agree that they should go to Tsunade as soon as they could. That was where they were supposed to go, if this... certain situation... ever occurred, as the Hokage herself had advised Hiashi to pass on to them. Not much had been said between the two of them other than that though, because they found themselves unable to say, to even _think_ the word... the one word that Neji didn't even want to pretend to comprehend....

Once they arrived at the Hokage's office door later that day - it wasn't even noon yet, and Neji wondered if it were too early - Tsunade's assistant eyed them knowingly before announcing their presence to the woman inside. The Hokage was sipping at coffee as they stepped up to her desk, and Neji watched in absentminded fascination as tendrils of steam escaped her cup and disappeared into the morning sunlight.

Tsunade quickly took note of Neji and Hinata's silence, and the way that Neji held his arms at a short distance, protectively near his wife. "So it's finally happened," was all she said. "Hinata, you look a little out of sorts. Perhaps we should have a little talk. Neji, could you stand outside please?"  
And just like that, he was kicked out of the place. Hinata watched him go a little sadly, but neither of them said anything. Neji sighed as the door shut behind him, and sank to the floor with his back to the wall. He didn't try to eavesdrop.

Neji was beginning to wonder how much longer he'd have to wait when the door finally opened, and he was allowed back in. Hinata was seated across from the Hokage at the desk, looking embarrassed and rather uncomfortable, and Neji wondered idly what the two of them had been discussing. Tsunade explained the basics to them - keep Hinata off her feet and don't let her strain herself too much... the types of foods that she should eat in order to stay healthy, the sorts of things they should expect as the pregnancy progressed - and there was that word, out in the open already. "Keep something to eat by your bed before you go to sleep at nights, and if you eat it in the morning before you throw up, it should prevent the morning sickness." Apparently the woman had had experience in dealing with pregnant women in the past.

Finally they were able to leave. Thankfully they didn't run into anybody they knew along the streets of Konoha, because Hinata didn't look like she was stable enough to handle it for the time being. Once they were home again, Neji watched as his wife stepped into the living room, and looked around the place as if she had never been there before. He kept his eyes on her, worried, until finally her legs seemed to collapse and she sank to the floor. Neji rushed to her side, only to find that she hadn't fainted - she was crying. Terrible, heart wrenching sobs that actually frightened him a little bit. Hinata's hands shook, and Neji had no idea what to say to her.

He knelt at her side, not knowing how to touch or comfort her at all, and just kept repeating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Somehow he felt as if this whole thing were all his fault, as if he were the one to blame for Hinata's pain. She looked so scared. Neither of them were ready for something like this. "I'm so sorry," he said again. Hinata tried to tell him to stop apologizing a few times, or at least that what she seemed to be trying to say, because she was crying too hard to even get the words out. So Neji kept repeating himself, unable to stop even if he wanted to.

* * *

It was late. Late enough that Neji had already drifted to sleep, and Hinata was still awake. She was lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Unlike the way she had been earlier in the day, the chilly night air seemed to clear Hinata's thoughts, and her mind was racing. She didn't feel tired at all, though she'd been awake for what seemed a very long time. Her hands kept trailing to her stomach wonderingly.

After a while, Hinata turned her head to look at her husband, and she felt her heart fly suddenly out to him. It was just like that night she'd seen him sleeping before. He was lying on his side, one of his arms draped around her, breathing slowly in and out. Hinata reached out with delicate fingers, and placed a few stray strands of long dark hair out of his face. For a moment, his eyes fluttered open, but he blinked tiredly, and fell back into unconsciousness. Hinata watched him in silence, her heart thumping with the affection that she felt for him. And somewhere inside herself, for one single moment, she imagined that she could feel another heartbeat in there, though much smaller, beating with the same kind of love that filled her in moments like this.

And content, Hinata finally curled herself into Neji, and embraced sleep.


	13. A Day With Friends

_**Disclaimer: **__No owning of Naruto._

_**A/N: **__A shorty chapter._

* * *

"Why do you keep touching your belly like that Hinata?"

Hinata, caught off guard, felt herself begin to blush slightly. She didn't mean to do it, really. Putting a hand to her stomach was just a habit that was growing on her these days. She marveled at the fact that she had a living human being floating around in there. Sometimes she felt a little grossed out by it, and other times somewhat awed. It was hard to believe, even now.

Sakura Haruno's head snapped up at Naruto's question, and she eyed Hinata sharply. She, too, had noticed the stomach-touching, and Hinata had been aware of that. She'd quickly lower her hand or acted as if she were reaching for something every time she noticed Sakura's eyes on her like that.

And Hinata had no idea what to say. "Umm...." She bit her lip nervously, but Naruto's blue eyes just kept staring blankly at her, waiting for an answer.

"Hey your face is all red," he noticed with a laugh. No, he never had any trouble in pointing that out to her, like she didn't already know.

On the other hand, a look of confirmation had crossed Sakura's face, while Hinata sat back and touched her stomach and blushed. Hinata still couldn't find the words to say, even if she thought her voice would work properly in order to force them out. She hadn't exactly said it out loud yet. She didn't even really like to say the words inside her head.

Hinata glanced around at the other members of the little group. She had woken up that morning, excited to find the sun was finally shining again. The first days of spring had arrived, and it hadn't snowed for weeks anyway. Then, Naruto had shown up at her door, much to Neji's displeasure, and had informed her that the group was having a little get-together and would she like to come? She'd agreed, but hadn't even thought to ask if Neji were allowed to trail along because of course he would. Silently, protectively, he stood a little ways behind her now, not really a part of the group, but still in on the conversations.

At Naruto's previous question, the expression on Ino's face had suddenly turned into one of shock and suspicion, while Sasuke on the other side of her hardly seemed to take interest at all. And Rock Lee, who was sitting on the other side of _him_, simply looked as curious as Naruto did.

Thankfully, thankfully, thankfully, Sakura saved Hinata from having to reply all on her own. "You see, Naruto," the pink haired wonder started slowly. "When a man and a woman get married, certain... things happen." Ino blushed brightly, but laughed at Sakura's words, while Sasuke let out an "oh boy" and an explosive sigh. Rock Lee just looked intent on what Sakura was saying. "And some of those things can lead to... uh... certain unexpected circumstances," Sakura continued, looking quite satisfied with her own choice of words. At Naruto's unchanging, expectant expression, she said, "Uh... don't you get it?"

Naruto thought for a moment, and for one dear, short moment, Hinata believed that he understood, and that miraculously the subject would be dropped. However, in typical Naruto Uzumaki fashion, he shook his head, dumbfounded, and said, "Nope, you've completely lost me." Sakura sighed in frustration, and Hinata continued to sit back, blushing insanely.

Rock Lee was now getting out of his seat, and he suddenly crouched down next to Hinata as if to examine her, as if he could see whatever was going on just by looking. "I too would like to know what is happening with Hinata-san's stomach," he announced, reaching over to poke it.

Hinata couldn't help but laugh, feeling more embarrassed than she had in her life (though somehow it was a much simpler, more comfortable kind of embarrassment than before) while trying to smack Rock Lee's hand away and hide her face at the same time. She could practically feel Neji rolling his eyes behind her.

Tenten showed up with a handful of drinks then, quite the perfect timing really. "What's going on?" she asked with a smile, looking from one expression to the next, and particularly eyeing Lee still crouched down examining Hinata's midsection.

Sakura laughed while Ino explained, "We were just trying to teach the concept of pregnancy to Naruto and Lee here."

Several things happened at once then. Rock Lee jumped back as if Hinata had turned into something big and ugly, exclaiming, "Truly?!" and looking distressed. He then began to thoroughly apologize to Hinata's stomach for poking it and for staring at it before, and then Naruto turned to face Hinata, his mouth set into a surprised little "o." And while all of this was going on, Tenten looked over directly at Neji and exclaimed, "No way! You really knocked up your girlfriend?"

"We are married you know..." Neji replied in a quiet, dangerously flat tone. Ino was looking over Hinata at him with wide eyes. He must really be angry. Hinata knew that he considered these people "annoying," and she supposed that she could see where he was coming from, but still. These were her friends.

"Oh," Tenten said then. "Sorry. So you really knocked up your _wife_?" she amended. Hinata could hear her husband's teeth grinding together now, and she knew that he hated it when he did that, so she snuck a glance over her shoulder and...

...was surprised to see that, though he _was_ grinding his teeth with quite a ferociousness, Neji was also trying very hard to suppress a somewhat amused smile.

Hinata instantly brightened at this. Really, if Neji could learn to be comfortable enough to even _almost_ crack a smile at her friends' foolishness.... Hinata stretched back to take his hand, and he glanced down at her, smiling up at him.

The dam broke, and Neji Hyuga actually smiled - in public, around actual _people._ "Whoa," Hinata heard Tenten say quietly on the other side of her.

* * *

Tenten's face flushed with anger as she waited for everyone's drinks to be ready. She'd spoken out and volunteered to get them herself, because she knew that she couldn't let any of her friends see her like this. With Hinata around, things were especially difficult to handle. Oh, Tenten liked the girl enough - she certainly didn't have anything against her. Still, something inside TenTen just wanted to be ruthlessly brutal toward her.

Because when Hinata was around, Neji was around... and that was the only reason why he was around.

Tenten could hardly stand it anymore. The way Neji constantly hovered gravely around his wife. Mostly he stayed back because all the rest of them got on his nerves, but Tenten supposed that she was the only one who saw the other reason. She was the only one who watched closely enough to notice how often Neji's eyes fell upon Hinata, the way he nearly jumped to her side whenever somebody got too close to her, the dark looks that crossed his face whenever Naruto rudely shoved his face into Hinata's while they talked.

For something that had apparently been an _arranged _marriage, Neji was far too protective of Hinata. Still, Tenten guessed that a reaction like that would become habit after months of being married to somebody. So, she kept watching Neji, and the way that he acted around Hinata, even though she felt that her head would explode if she saw any more of it. Because somewhere in Tenten, she hoped in vain that the little signs of affection between the two of them weren't really there. Somehow, inside herself, she hoped against the odds that one day, Neji might notice _her_.

Tenten had always loved him. That... was just the way it had always been.

Suddenly Tenten remembered the drinks, and realized that they'd been sitting in front of her for a few minutes already, while she spaced out. Embarrassed, she took the things and quickly apologized to the small line of people she'd been holding up. She turned toward her little group of friends then, and suddenly she had the strangest urge to cry. They all looked so carefree, over there having fun. And here she was, doing her best to ruin the day for herself.

Taking a deep breath, Tenten steeled herself, and forced a happy, casual smile onto her face.

There seemed to be some kind of small commotion going on when she walked over to them. Hinata was blushing, which was normal, but Rock Lee was crouched down at her side, watching her as if expecting something to happen. Neji didn't seem too happy about that. "What's going on?" she asked, glancing around at the various expressions on everyone's faces.

Sakura was laughing as Ino explained, "We were just trying to teach the concept of pregnancy to Naruto and Lee here."

Suddenly, the way Rock Lee was looking at Hinata made perfect sense... and for a moment, Tenten was _sure_ that she was going to lose it. "No way!" she exclaimed, and remembered - a little too late - to smile. "You really knocked up your girlfriend?" she demanded of Neji, and hoped that it came out sounding as playful as she had meant it to.

She knew that Neji didn't like it whenever people addressed him so directly like that. She knew he didn't like the way she was loud and joking all the time. Most other people were too... well, almost frightened of his silent self to talk to really him at all. But she always forced herself past those barriers, because it was the only way she could think of to get his attention. If she were loud and happy and talked to him a lot, wouldn't she stand out from everybody else? Wouldn't he notice her then?

"We are married you know..." Neji said darkly now, and though no one else probably thought so, that was strange too. Normally he wouldn't have replied at all.

Of course! Tenten thought to herself. Neji and Hinata were _married._ She had to have known that they were going to have children _some_ time. Wasn't that usually the point of an arranged marriage? It didn't have to mean that they actually loved one another or anything. It was normal that they produced an heir. Actually, she reassured herself, it was kind of unusual that this hadn't happened earlier.

So, Tenten made her voice light as she said, "Oh. Sorry. So you really knocked up your _wife_?"

A strange thing happened then. A weird expression crossed Neji's face, one that Tenten had never quite seen before. And of all of Neji's expressions that she had seen before, she couldn't quite pinpoint this one. She noticed Hinata look shyly back at her husband, and Tenten watched - somewhat shocked - as Hinata slowly reached back and took one of Neji's hands. _(Strike one!)_ Neji looked down at his wife, his expression changing slowly. _(Strike two!)_

And then, Neji Hyuga smiled. _(You're out of here...!)_ Way out, she thought sadly.

Tenten felt like raising her hands in sudden defeat. As much as she had hoped, as hard as she had tried to convince herself so far that things would one day go her way, she knew that it was never going to happen. Neji would never, ever, smile at _her_ quite like that.


	14. Three Months Later

_**Disclaimer: **__I get tired of saying this._

_**A/N:**__ I just love time skips, don't you?_

_Sorry, another shorty._

* * *

The months dragged on with a sense of impatience hanging in the air. Things got better and things got worse, but at least Hinata stopped throwing up in the mornings. She stayed home for the most part, while the last hint of winter chill left them, and spring rained upon her like a blessing from the skies. Hinata liked to spend her time outside, watching her husband spar with her sister or father or other members of their family, since she couldn't even consider doing such a thing anymore. She never left the vicinity of the Main House, though. She felt no particular need to go anywhere very far from home, not even to see her friends. She was supposed to stay off her feet anyway.

And there were times when Hinata would see the stout wall separating the Main House from the Branch House, and she would wonder if the coming of this child meant that that wall would finally be broken down.

As time passed, Hinata expected to get _huge_, as she thought all pregnant women did, but instead the only thing that happened was she developed a small, rather unimpressive little bump of a stomach. Smaller than expected, but still awkward, and on top of that, Hinata didn't _like_ being pregnant. It was uncomfortable, inconvenient, and the kicking could sometimes be most unpleasant. Honestly, she was already impatient to get the kid out of her. She already felt like her insides were never going to be the same as it was.

Being pregnant scared Hinata a bit, to know that she had something living inside of her - living _off_ of her. For now, it was up to her alone, and _her_ body, to take care of it, and what if she didn't do it right? What if she couldn't _be_ a good mother? She had just been beginning to become comfortable, and happy, with life at home, with Neji... and now suddenly they were going to have another someone living with them - a baby, of all things. Somehow, Hinata just couldn't imagine it. She; a mother, Neji; a father. Would they be prepared for the child when it came? Could they be good parents? Would they be able to show it all the love and affection that it deserves? Could they teach it all the things that it would need to know? Would it be happy there with them?

So many questions piling up, and not a single answer to relieve her. And Hinata didn't share any of her bigger concerns with Neji, though she knew he wanted her to.

Actually there wasn't much going on between Hinata and her husband at all those days. She was too busy worrying about the future, and he was too busy worrying about how quiet she was. They went through the motions, they kissed and hugged and slept in one another's arms, but there was too much else going on for them to just relax and put their hearts into it. Things just weren't the same between them now, and it was kind of depressing. Hinata thought her father had noticed it, and Tsunade too, since the Hokage had insisted upon monthly check-ups. Hinata thought that she must be a lucky woman though, to have the Hokage herself watching over her pregnancy. And according to Tsunade, so far everything was going pretty smoothly.

Then one day the woman decided to have another little private chat with Hinata, this time even sending the assistant out of the room. And the Hokage, being who she was, wasted no time in getting to the point. "How are things between you and Neji lately?" Tsunade asked, watching her closely.

Hinata was surprised at the turn of conversation. She sighed, but didn't answer. Tsunade took the girl's silence as confirmation of the things she'd thought she'd been seeing. It was her turn to sigh, and she stepped over to stand directly before Hinata. "You two haven't been talking at all?" she guessed. Hinata shook her head sadly. "Have you been trying?" No response.

"Hinata, this has to stop," she said firmly. "You're already nearing five months, and you have to have some kind of communication with your husband."

Hinata said nothing still, but tears began to fill her eyes. It was quiet for a moment, awkward on Hinata's part. She just wished.... She wished....

Well, she wasn't sure what for anymore.

"Hinata, I have to tell you." Tsunade placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, until finally Hinata looked up at her face. "I'm sending Neji away on another mission."

Hinata felt the first tears fall, while the Hokage's words struck her through the chest. "What?" she whispered, and her breath left her lungs in a silent _whoosh_.

Tsunade sighed. "I'm afraid we need him. It's important, and it's going to be dangerous. He's not going with his usual team this time. And..." sigh "...likely he'll be gone much longer than he was before."

"I want to go with him," Hinata said numbly, her mind blank. She didn't even want to imagine what another two and a half weeks would be like without him, much less longer than that, and while she had all of this stress going on, too.... Hinata thought she'd fall apart.

"Hinata, if you weren't in such delicate condition, I'd consider it. But seeing as you _are_ pregnant, you're going to have to stay home. I promise - I _swear_ to you that Neji will be home before the baby's born." The woman shook Hinata's shoulder slightly, for emphasis.

"But he can't leave now..." Hinata protested, feeling her vocal cords grow stronger. "I won't let him!"

Tsunade's eyes saddened. "I am sorry, Hinata." Then the Hokage crossed the room to let Hinata's husband back in, and Hinata listened breathless while the woman filled Neji in.

* * *

"So... how is life at home?" Tenten asked lightly. It was rare that Neji practiced with the team these days, but with his upcoming mission at hand, he'd began to show up a little more often. And Tenten had seen that he seemed stiffer than usual, harder, like stone. He spoke even less than he had before, and she worried that Hinata's pregnancy was dragging him down.

Tenten figured that she better take the opportunity to talk to him while she could. And, she thought that maybe he'd respond to her if she weren't being what he considered "annoying" for once. Obviously, the loud, direct way she normally had of speaking to him wasn't getting them anywhere. Neji had never been one for conversation at all, but he had changed since marrying Hinata, and maybe if she tried, he'd actually talk back a little now.

He glanced at her in silence, his expression a mask of nothing. "Not good huh?" she asked. "How's Hinata holding up?"

At first, he was quiet, and for a moment she was sure that he wasn't going to answer her at all. Then, he spoke. "She's scared," he said, in his usual tough-Neji-Hyuga voice. "She doesn't like being pregnant... and she doesn't like that I'm going away again."

Tenten thought for a moment, searching her mind for something to say back. She hadn't really _expected_ to run into a conversation here. Sure, she'd always hoped for it, but still.... It only showed how much more Neji had changed in the past few months. And an idea came to her then. On impulse she said, "Well, maybe I could spend some time with Hinata. No one's seen her in town much lately. I could get her out of the house while you're away, have some fun."

"Hinata's not really in any kind of condition to have fun," he said shortly, but his face was turned from her, and so she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Oh..." she replied. "Right. Well, I could still... do something, I think."

Neji did not reply again, and somehow, she knew that he wouldn't. With a small sigh, she started to walk away, but then he stopped her. "Tenten," he called.

In surprise, she immediately turned back to him. It was the first time, she thought, that she had ever heard him say her name - conversationally, at least. "Yes?" she asked, startled. And finally, he faced her.

"You can't let Hinata know about your feelings for me." And Tenten's world shattered. Neji sighed heavily, his eyes closed as if there was a headache coming on. "I don't pretend to be unaware of how you feel. But you had to have realized by now that nothing will ever come of it... and something like that would only worry Hinata unnecessarily."

Oh. So... he wanted her to stop loving him, for Hinata's sake.... Tenten felt her heart drop to her stomach like a block of lead. "Okay," she simply agreed. There wasn't much else to say than that. But she did feel the need to add an, "I'm sorry."

Neji shook his head. "I apologize as well," he replied, and curtly turned his back on her as a sign of dismissal. Obviously he expected that to be the end of it. But she had to ask. Tenten walked up to him determinedly, and made sure to stand in a way that she could see his expression. He watched her a bit coldly. "Do you love Hinata?" she demanded.

Neji didn't look at her then, but after a moment, his eyes softened. Tenten wanted to cry. She knew what his answer would be, even before he said it. "I do," he replied.

Forcing herself to smile, though rather sadly, she touched his arm - something she had never done before. "Then I'm happy," she said, and for the first time ever, Neji Hyuga looked at her as if she were not something annoying.

Tenten left practice that day, feeling somewhat relieved, but mostly just broken. But that was okay. She felt like a new person now, somewhat stronger, and she would get over Neji Hyuga.

* * *

Hinata thought, this was the most perfect time in her life. Whenever she was lying in her husband's arms, she felt safe, despite her usual day-to-day worries and insecurities. She had her back pressed to him now, and one of his arms was holding her gently, while the other rested beneath his pillow... and Hinata was trying not to think about the fact that he'd be leaving in two days. That, in just two days, he'd be gone, because this was her time of peace, one of her only times of relief.

Every time she remembered that Neji was leaving, worry would grip her, and she'd freeze up completely. He'd be gone, for what Tsunade had said would be much longer than two weeks, which seemed long enough. Before, the Hokage had told her that his last mission would probably be no problem for him, but he'd still come home with his arm broken. This time the Hokage described his mission as "dangerous" - what would he come home broken with this time? Worries piled on worries.

Content for the moment, Hinata was just beginning to drift when there was suddenly a particularly forceful kick within her midsection, and she grunted in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Neji asked instantly, his quiet voice alert. He worried about her so.

Rather than explaining, Hinata took his hand, and pressed his fingers against the place where the kick had occurred. As if responding to it's father's touch, the thing inside her kicked again, lightly this time, and Hinata heard Neji's breath catch in his throat. She turned her head to look at him, to see that his eyes had grown very wide. Neji was staring at his wife's face in shock, but somewhere in the silence, she sensed his wonder, too.

Hinata smiled then, more warmly than she had in a while, and he smiled back in quiet relief. It was simple moments like this, that turned everything around.


	15. Not This, Not Now

_**Disclaimer: **__no ownage_

_**A/N: **__And in case you were wondering, yes, it is essential to the plot that I sometimes write from Tenten's POV. I like Tenten, and I'd like to make her a major character in this story :p_

* * *

Like someone obsessed (or perhaps addicted was the better word to use here) Neji began touching his wife's stomach frequently, starting the very next day. It was always gentle, and didn't bother her at all. He would sit/stand with his arms around her and a palm on her midsection, waiting for another kick, and smiling, surprised, whenever he felt one. It was amusing to Hinata, actually. And, for the first time in a while, rather touching as well.

"I think it likes you," Hinata commented after another one of those particularly strong kicks. "It started moving around more since you started doing that."

Neji smiled, but didn't reply.

It was almost as if the baby, all on its own, had finally broken the awkward silence between Hinata and her husband. Well, at least _that _was good news - except that now Neji would be leaving the next day... and there was still absolutely nothing that Hinata could do about it.

That night as she lay in his arms, she found herself unable to sleep. He was too gentle with her these days to really hold her very tightly, but she held him as closely as she could. She was terrified of the concept of tomorrow. It was good, that the discomfort had broken between them, but now she just wanted him to stay more than ever. What if he never came back? "Neji... don't leave tomorrow."

"I wish I had a choice," he replied, and slipped a hand between them so that he could touch her stomach lightly again. The small gesture made Hinata want to cry, but she held it inside, determined for once.

"Don't you?" she whispered.

"Hinata." He pulled her face close to his, allowing the bridges of their nose to touch. "I realized something," he said then, and the sound in his voice that indicated he was changing the subject made Hinata's hands tremble.

"What?" she whispered, only partly curious.

"That I love you."

Hinata swallowed hard, biting her lip and fighting the tears back. "Then don't leave," she said, her voice breaking. She swallowed again, but there was a lump in her throat.

Neji kissed her lips softly. "I'm sorry."

"I love you too," she said.

"That's nice to hear, all things considered." He smiled her favorite smile, and she knew that he was just trying to cheer her up. "Hinata, why don't you just let yourself cry?"

"No," she protested, shaking her head a little. "I'm sick of crying."

And then, the strangest of things happened. Their faces were still touching, so Hinata saw it clearly. There was no way that it could be passed off as just some trick of the light.

Neji's eyes filled, and she felt her breath catch. Silently, Neji scooted down so that he could bury his face in her shoulder for once, and though she couldn't quite convince herself that it was possible, she could feel his tears trickling down her neck. He kissed her shoulder gently. Somewhat heartbroken, Hinata held her husband even closer to herself.

* * *

It was just after sunrise when Hinata awoke the next day. She'd been sleeping lightly, and her eyes opened immediately when Neji got out of bed. Sleepily, and sadly, Hinata watched him dress - they didn't mind such things anymore of course. He glanced back at her, but didn't speak a word. Finally, Neji turned her way, crouching down in front of her from where she sat on the edge of the bed. He had gotten tall. His head could still reach her shoulder, though he was crouching. "You know I don't want to go," he said.

"It doesn't matter if you _want_ to or not, you're still leaving. Please... stay."

He looked up to meet her eyes. "My team is waiting for me outside." He kissed her. "I'll be back, before they baby comes. I promise." He kissed her again, then leaned down to very gently kiss her stomach. Then Neji touched her face, and she held one of his hands in her own, tightly, reluctant to let go. And then, once again, he was gone, and she was alone.

Hinata wasn't sure how long she sat there, feeling the warmth slowly leaving her body. She stared numbly at the floor, until a slow thought came bubbling up to the surface. Why was she just sitting here? She couldn't do this on her own, she wasn't prepared to live without him if he never came back. She had to stop him! Feeling a sudden rush, Hinata jumped up, and ran as quickly as she could downstairs and out the door. But she was too late.

Tears in her eyes, she could just barely see the retreating backs of her husband and his teammates in the distance. Hinata leaned heavily against the door frame, and whispered, "Please come home safely." She collapsed into sobs.

* * *

She was feeling a little better by noon. Hinata had spent the morning trying in vain to convince herself that Neji would be fine, that he _would_ come home unharmed, and that everything would be alright. But her lonely thoughts didn't make the house any less empty, didn't make her heart any less cold. She was here on her own again, and now what would she do? She tried to read a little, but every time her mind emerged from the pages of her book and she was reminded of Neji's absence, she'd start to cry again. She was scared to death, and all alone. Hinata felt like nothing would ever be alright again, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself.

And then there was a knock at the front door. Thinking that it was her father, Hinata went to answer as she was - more or less a wreck, though at least she'd gotten dressed that morning. And so she was surprised to see Tenten, of all people, standing there. "Oh!" Hinata exclaimed, turning her back quickly, wondering what on earth she could do about her sloppy appearance. Her hands flew to her face, but there was really nothing for it. "I'm sorry," she apologized, turning back around to face her unexpected visitor. Embarrassed, she couldn't look at Tenten's face, and Hinata's fingers tried uselessly to push her hair behind her ears.

Tenten gave a small, understanding smile. "Don't worry about the way you look," she said with a little laugh. "I'm no one important. Can I come in?"

"Y-yes. Of course." Hinata allowed her in, and Tenten stared around at the vastness of the living room that Hinata was already used to, while Hinata lead their way to the kitchen. They sat at the table together, and Hinata put some water to boil for tea.

"Actually... I should be the one apologizing," Tenten said, looking uncomfortable sitting at the large table. "I know you weren't expecting company, or at least not from me."

"That's fine," Hinata replied with a forced smile.

After a moment of somewhat awkward silence, Tenten's own smile slipped a little. "Hinata, speaking frankly, you look like a wreck." Hinata grimaced. "I came to see how you were doing, I know Neji left today, and no one in the village has seen you for a while...." Hinata didn't know how to reply to that, so she stayed silent. "Are you okay?" Tenten asked gently.

Hinata cleared her throat, trying hard not to let the tears come on again. "I'm... okay. Just worried, I guess."

"Yeah...." After another moment she said, "Neji didn't tell you that I wanted to spend time with you, did he?"

"What?" Hinata blinked in surprise. "No.... Was he supposed to?"

Tenten smiled. "I guess not," she said. "But yeah, I told him that I could probably spend time with you while he was away. He was worried about you."

Hinata felt her heart swell. "He was?"

Tenten's smile seemed to falter for a moment. "Yeah, of course. I swear, even when he's training with us his mind's always on you." She laughed, but it sounded a little forced. She must be uncomfortable in Hinata and Neji's house. She'd never been there before, after all. "So how are you?" Tenten continued. "Well, other than Neji being away I mean."

Hinata sighed. "Other than that, I suppose I'm fine."

"Wow!" Tenten said excitedly then, looking down at Hinata's midsection. Hinata hadn't even been aware of putting her hand there again. "Look at your stomach! You actually have one now." She laughed lightly, and reached over to pat Hinata's stomach as well. But the other girl's touch was so gentle, unsure against Hinata's slightly swollen belly, that it instantly reminded her of Neji. Suddenly, the tears spilled over again, and she slumped over to cry while Tenten tried frantically to cheer her up and figure out whatever it had been that she'd done wrong.

* * *


	16. I Hate To Tell You This

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto at all_

* * *

"Your house is really huge isn't it?" Tenten commented, picking up a handful of bubbles and blowing them into the air. She and Hinata were in the bathhouse behind Hinata's home, because Tenten had said that it was more relaxing to bathe with friends than by yourself. She'd even brought some special sort of beads from Konoha that made bubbles in the water. "I couldn't imagine living in a place like this with just one other person."

"It is a little strange at first," Hinata agreed.

It had only been about a week since Neji left, and this was Tenten's third time with Hinata since then. All in all her presence was a comfort - it was easy for Hinata to talk to Tenten, which was a little strange, because usually she couldn't talk with much ease to anybody. But Tenten had an easygoing personality, which sort of balanced out Hinata's shy and stuttering self. Whenever she blushed or said something embarrassing, Tenten didn't acknowledge it, and it was kind of nice to be around someone she didn't feel was constantly watching (or judging) her.

"Are you sure you'll be alright in such a big place by yourself for so long?"

Hinata didn't like the sound of that - the way Tenten said "so long," a reminder of Neji's absence. "Yes... I'm sure. I couldn't imagine leaving." It was home to her now; the place that she and Neji shared together. Hinata didn't know that Tenten was taking note of the sad look on her face.

"Well, maybe it would do you good to get out for a while. You could come spend time with some of us in town more often."

"I don't know..." Hinata replied, a little uncomfortable. She didn't _want_ to get away from home. She'd rather be in a place where she felt close to Neji. "Where could we go? It's not as if I can do very much right now." She swirled some of the bubbles around in the water with her hand.

"We don't have to do much of anything. It's nice to sit around with friends sometimes."

"Why do you try so hard for me Tenten?" Hinata asked quietly. It was a little surprising how easy it was for her to ask such a question. "It's not like we've ever been very close.... I don't understand why you want to cheer me up so much."

It was a moment before Tenten answered. She was wringing out the hand towel she'd been using. "Because Neji's my teammate, and we've been... well, not friends exactly. But we've known each other for a really long time, and I know he worries about you so...." She smiled happily. "I guess I just want to help. And it's always nice making a new friend."

Hinata couldn't help but smile back. Tenten was just one of those people whom it was difficult to be sad around for very long. She carried with her a comforting sort of atmosphere. "Fun" was a good way to describe her, and even with all of the things going on lately, Hinata found it easy to smile whenever Tenten was around. Perhaps it _would_ be good for her to see her other friends. "I'm glad to have you around," she said honestly.

Tenten laughed. "It's nice to have a distraction, isn't it? I know Sakura and Ino have been anxious to see you lately. They want to know how you and the baby are doing." She gestured to Hinata's stomach, but ever since that day that Neji had left, Tenten knew better than to touch it again. Hinata sense that she was afraid it would trigger another reaction like what had happened last time.

"Maybe I should go into the village more often," Hinata mused. "I guess I'd like to see everybody." She sighed heavily. "And I've been putting off buying new clothes. It's getting harder to fit into the ones I've got. And I need to visit the library again."

"So you like to read then?"

"Yes." Hinata laughed. "Neji always wonders why I read the books I do, though. I don't think he approves of romance novels."

Tenten laughed with her. "That does sound like him. You should have told him not to try to understand it, reading things like that is just something all us girls do." She stuck her tongue out playfully.

"You too?" Hinata asked with a little surprise. "You don't seem like you would like books like that."

"Only when I'm bored." She paused. "Hey, I've got an idea! If you're up for it...."

And that was how Hinata ended up having the party brought to her. Sakura and Ino and Tenten were all going to spend a night with her at her home. Also, when Tenten told the other two of how Hinata needed new clothes, they decided to go shopping _for_ her. Sakura had made the suggestion of throwing Hinata a baby shower too, but when Hinata heard of it, she refused strongly.

The three of them all arrived at the house together, bringing with them all the bags of clothes they had bought - Hinata hadn't been aware of their shopping for her, and she felt a little bad for it. They didn't need to spend their money on her. However, when she said something about it, they spoke right over her stutters, saying things like "don't worry about it" and "it wasn't any trouble at all."

"And I brought you something else," Tenten said, bringing a book out from behind her back. "Its all about pregnancy. You said you liked to read so.... I don't know if you like to read this kind of thing, but you never know, it might come in handy."

Hinata examined the book for a moment. It wasn't very thick. On the cover was a picture of a woman with an exposed, much larger stomach than her own. Some of the words she didn't understand, but she flipped through the pages and the pictures, and it looked like something interesting. "Thank you Tenten," she said, hugging the other girl warmly.

"So when's the baby due?" Sakura cooed, rushing up and rubbing Hinata's stomach instantly.

Into stood near too, bending over to examine the belly. She laughed. "You were right Sakura. She didn't get that big."

"Well of course I'm right," Sakura replied, smiling somewhat snidely. "Tsunade has been teaching me about pregnancy lately. I've been curious ever since we found about this." She snuggled up to Hinata's stomach pointedly, and Hinata laughed uncomfortably. It was like when people were around all they saw was the stomach anymore. She was starting to get a little tired of it.

"So have you had any _weird_ cravings yet?" Ino asked in interest.

"Not really," Hinata said with a smile. "But I've been eating a lot of vegetables lately. Usually I hate them, but now I can't seem to stop eating them."

"Well, what do you know, the kid's a vegetarian," Tenten laughed, and then she pulled something out of one of the bags. "What do you think of this Hinata?" It was a small, pink outfit for a baby. A little kimono with rose petal designs. It _was_ rather cute - Hinata could see a child wearing it, but....

"But what if it's a boy?" she asked.

Tenten laughed again. "Well then it'll be a boy who wears pink I guess." She handed the outfit over for Hinata to have a closer look at it. "I picked this one out. We figured that you'd need more baby clothes. We weren't sure if you already had any or not."

Hinata sighed. "No, nothing. We weren't sure... how to prepare for something like this so... even though we've known about the baby for months, we still haven't gotten anything for it."

"Nothing?" Sakura asked. "You haven't picked out a room for it? No clothes, or a crib?"

Hinata shook her head sadly.

"Well we'll help you Hinata," Ino said, all the sudden excited all over again. "Don't worry about it, we'll get right on it!"

Hinata blushed. "Okay... if you want to.... Thank you." She paused. "But I want to pay for all of it."

Sakura and Ino began to protest immediately. "No," she interrupted firmly, still blushing because she wasn't used to doing so. "We have more money than we need here, and I don't want you spending things on me...."

After a moment, Sakura nodded, and they agreed - for which Hinata was glad.

"So where are we all sleeping tonight?" Ino asked for a change of subject. "In Hinata's room?" She smiled.

"No!" Hinata said suddenly, and all three of them looked at her. She blushed again. "No... I'm sorry. I mean... it's just that...." She sighed, frustrated with herself. "That's... the room where Neji and I sleep. I don't want anyone in there, until he comes home. I'm sorry."

Tenten was the one who, thankfully, broke the silence that followed. "Well then we'll just have to find another room to sleep in won't we?" she asked with an easy smile. "I'm sure there are plenty here to choose from, in a house so big." Hinata nodded in relief.

"You really miss him, huh?" Sakura asked kindly, a sad smile on her face. Hinata nodded again, looking down at the floor.

Ino made a small sound of sympathy. "Poor Hinata!" she said, hugging her and squeezing enthusiastically. "Oh you're going to be such a cute mother!" she gushed. "Your baby is going to be beautiful!"

And Hinata thought of Neji - his sleeping face, his long brown hair, the angles and lines of his body.... "Yes, I'm sure it will," she replied absently.

Later that day, Hinata made her way over to the house where she used to live, the place where here father and Hanabi still resided. She found her father sitting in the kitchen by himself. "Father?' she asked quietly.

He stood immediately when he saw who it was. Wary of her stomach, Hiashi embraced her. "Yes? What brings you here, my daughter?"

"Actually... I was wondering if I could borrow a few of your servants. And only _borrow,_" she stressed.

He smiled. "Of course. Any time you have need of them, they are yours."

And so, Hinata had an extra bed moved into one of the spare bedrooms. Then she had sheets put on both the beds, and the beds pushed together to make a large space for her and her three friends to sleep that night. Then, she asked her father's servants, would they please do something about the dust that had gathered in the room? They smiled and did as they were told, a few of them saying how good it was to see her again, especially in such delicate condition. She had known many of them since childhood. "Thank you," she replied warmly.

* * *

For the most part, the four girls sat around in the kitchen or in the living room, simply talking and laughing and eating. Sakura taught Tenten and Hinata how to gamble, which was a funny experience. Hinata didn't think she'd ever take the opportunity to actually ever gamble, though. That night, the four of them went to the private bathhouse together - Tenten had brought some more of those bubble beads - which Ino and Sakura enjoyed. They said they couldn't believe Hinata had her _own_ bathhouse, then began talking about how rich the Hyuga clan must be. "This bathhouse is too big for just you and Neji," Sakura said, and then Ino made some crude comment about Neji and Hinata bathing together, which made even Tenten blush brightly.

Sakura laughed, and sighed contentedly. "It's so nice being in a bathhouse like this," she said, sinking lower into the water with a smile. "At least here we don't have to worry about anyone peeping in - like _Naruto_."

Ino laughed. "You never know. I'd be surprised if Naruto _didn't_ try peeping in on Hinata here."

Sakura and Tenten laughed in agreement. "I don't think Naruto would do something like that," Hinata exclaimed, embarrassed. "He's actually been really nice to me lately...."

The three of them looked at her, mixed expressions of slight amusement on their faces. "You really don't know, do you?" Tenten asked with a smile.

"What?"

Sakura laughed. "Naruto's got the biggest crush on you these days. He won't shut up. It's obvious how jealous of Neji he is." Hinata thought, she must be blushing all the way up to her hairline. So now _Naruto_ had a crush on _her_? She sighed, feeling suddenly exhausted. How ironic.

"Leave it up to a boy like Naruto to wait until it's already too late," Ino laughed. Hinata nodded in agreement. "You don't still _like_ him do you?" Ino asked in surprise.

Hinata blushed. "Ah! No! Not at all. Neji...." She trailed off, missing her husband all over again. She had to swallow sudden tears. Hinata sighed. "I miss Neji," she said quietly. Tenten watched her sadly.

That night after the baths, the four of them sat together on the two beds Hinata had had pushed together, chatting idly. Hinata was wearing new pajamas that they had bought for her - they were loose, almost too big for her, but quite comfortable. Simple and pink and silk, but she felt awkward wearing them, knowing that the three girls had gone out of their way to buy things for her. Sakura sat brushing Hinata's hair - she had insisted, though Hinata felt weird about it. "You have such pretty hair Hinata," she was saying. Ino had put her own wet hair up in a bun, but Tenten left hers down, and Hinata thought, she looked pretty with her hair like that. "Why don't you ever wear it down?" she asked, curious.

Tenten smiled. "It would be inconvenient while training, or on a mission." She laughed. "I don't know how Neji does it." Hinata laughed with her.

Slowly, things began winding down, and some of them began to get sleepy. Ino and Sakura were the first ones out, but Hinata stayed up playing a game of cards with Tenten, a single oil lamp burning beside the bed. They'd blown the others out when Sakura and Ino fell asleep. "Did you have fun today then Hinata?" Tenten asked, looking up from her cards.

Hinata smiled, and nodded. "Yes," she replied. "I did."

"I'm glad."

And then something weird happened. Suddenly, Tenten frowned sadly, and she looked uncomfortable. The silence between them became somewhat intense, and a little confused, Hinata blushed and kept her eyes downward at her hand of cards. "Hinata, I need to tell you something," Tenten said quietly, glancing over at the two sleeping girls.

"Yes?"

Tenten paused, and laughed uncomfortably. "I didn't want you to know, but it feels strange. It feels like I'm... taking advantage of you or something.... It makes me feel like a bad person."

"What is it Tenten?" Hinata whispered. She had never seen the other girl like this before.

Tenten sighed heavily, and her eyes were on her cards, but she didn't look like she was really looking at them. "Oh jeez," she whispered. "How do I say something like this?" She glanced over at Ino and Sakura again, as if making sure they were really asleep. "You know I told you how Neji and I have known each other for a really long time?" Hinata nodded, and a cold feeling suddenly entered her body, like ice creeping up her chest. "I... have always... uh, cared very deeply about Neji."

Hinata felt spots of red bloom on her face, and Tenten was blushing as well, looking ashamed. "What?" Hinata gasped.

"No... please, wait," Tenten said quickly. "Don't jump to conclusions or anything.... Neji loves _you._ He told me so, right before he left. I didn't even know he knew... that I.... Well, he never felt the same. And I'm giving up, so you don't have to worry...." Her voice trailed off. "I'm sorry. Maybe I really shouldn't have told you."

Hinata felt frozen where she sat. Somehow she just couldn't believe what she was hearing. After all those missions and days of training that Tenten and Neji had spent together... Tenten had said they'd known each other for a really long time.... Panic came up through her throat, and she couldn't speak. Finally, she found her vocal cords. "You... and Neji...."

"No," Tenten replied quietly. "No, Hinata, Neji and I were never together. Not at all." She laughed lightly. "I get on his nerves. And he never wanted somebody like me. I wonder how long he knew without saying anything...."

"I...." Hinata really didn't know what to say. Tenten looked so uncomfortable, and guilty. Should she believe her?

"I told you, I'm giving up, so you don't have to worry about it. Really. I'm sorry." She shrugged sadly. "I guess I wanted to spend more time with you... to kind of force myself not to care about him anymore. He told me to stop, because it would-" she imitated Neji's deep voice "- 'worry you unnecessarily.' Nothing ever happened between us, I swear. And I didn't want you to find out about how I feel, but I just really had to tell you. I want to be friends with you, but it's awful to listen to how much you miss him, and know that I miss him too without you knowing...."

"Okay," Hinata said quietly, interrupting her. She didn't realize that she had put her cards down - they were spread out on the mattress, and Tenten would see them clearly if she looked down at them. Hinata didn't care. She glanced off to the side, her mid spinning. How was she supposed to feel about something like this? Being on the same team, Neji and Tenten were near each other all the time where Hinata couldn't see. "You're... what do you mean you're giving up?" she whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat.

It was a moment before Tenten answered. "I kind of always hoped that one day Neji would want me. Even though he was married to you... I didn't think he actually loved you, since it was an arranged marriage. But then... that day when he smiled at you in Konoha.... Hinata, Neji would never smile at me like that. I'm... just somebody who annoys him, like the rest of the world." She laughed sadly again. "But I watched the way he was around you, and I know he loves you. He's too busy thinking about you all the time to even try to pay attention to someone like me."

Hinata's voice was trapped again, and she forgot how to speak. She tried to hold the tears back, but a few of them escaped. Neji had known. He had known that Tenten loved him. What did he really think about that? Was he really thinking about Hinata right now wherever he was, or was he thinking about _her_? "Oh no," Tenten said quietly. "Look what I've done now. I'm so sorry, Hinata. You were finally having a good time and I completely ruined it. I'm so sorry."

Hinata finally turned to look at her, and streaks of tears were clear running down Tenten's face. She looked so concerned, her brow creased with worry as her eyes scanned Hinata's face in shame. She looked so sad.... Not caring if she sat on the cards or not, Hinata scooted close, and pulled the other girl into a soft hug. Tenten began to sob on her shoulder, and somehow it felt like the day that Neji had left all over again, except Tenten was the one crying now. "I'm so sorry Hinata," she kept saying. "I had to tell you...."

"It's alright," Hinata comforted her quietly. Somehow, she wondered why she had ended up comforting the woman who was in love with her husband. Still....

"I'll make it up to you Hinata," Tenten promised later, when she had finally stopped crying. Hinata wondered how late it must be already. "I don't need Neji anymore. I'd rather be your friend than be in love with _him_." She took one of Hinata's hands in both of hers. "I promise that I'll never betray you," she swore, their hands clasped together between them.


	17. Hell of a Day

_**Disclaimer: **__No owning of Naruto here._

* * *

Hinata was in the living room reading the book that Tenten had given her when the knock came at the door. She hadn't been expecting anybody, so she glanced out the window before answering, but there didn't seem to be anyone there. So you can understand why she was so shocked when, curiously, she opened the front door and a mob of people came flooding in. She recognized her father's servants - nearly all of them! - bringing in random items like pieces of furniture and bags of unknown things and buckets of paint.... Then Sakura and Ino came in, smiling happily and directing the servants on what to do.

"Sakura... Ino...." Hinata said in surprise, feeling exhausted by this sudden rabble. "What's going on?" she asked.

They both laughed happily, and rushed up to hug her at once. "We went shopping with that money you gave us today!" Sakura exclaimed happily.

"Really it was too much Hinata...." Ino continued. "We bought all this and still had plenty left over. Did you really think a baby would cost _that_ much?"

"Well..." Hinata started uncomfortably. "You went shopping _already_?" she asked.

"Of course." The both of them looked surprised that she would even ask such a question.

"Oh, and we took the liberty of borrowing your father's servants," Sakura continued, making a funny face. "I have to tell you, it was a little scary, asking him for something like that. At first he wouldn't even look at us, like we weren't important at all, but when he heard that it was for you.... Well, he told us to use as many of them as we needed." She laughed happily, and Hinata could feel a tiny sweat drop run down the side her face at the very _thought_ of Sakura and Ino asking her father to use his servants. He'd probably been really angry. Could her friends have been any more rude?"

"Yeah, and Naruto wanted to help us so he's here too," Ino said.

She spoke a little too late though, because just then Naruto Uzumaki himself came in through the door, looking somewhat out of place. He eyed her home with arms crossed. He seemed uncomfortable. Hinata sighed heavily, knowing that she'd never be able to look at him the same way again after what Sakura and Ino had told her the last time they were over. "Hey Hinata," he said, waving with a crooked smile.

"Hey..." she laughed nervously. Had she really needed to know about his crush on her? She'd have been happier having no idea.

Then, as if to make matters worse, Hiashi and Hanabi walked in, surprising Naruto because they were standing right behind him. "It seems you have reliable friends Hinata," her father said when he was close enough to her. Hanabi hovered at his side, not saying a word.

Hinata sighed. How could she tell everybody that actually she had been enjoying her time reading in silence? Not wanting to sound rude, she offered her friends and family drinks, which they agreed to, and they all sat together in the kitchen at the table that had always seemed too large before. She could hear noises going on upstairs, many feet moving around heavily. "Ah... what are the servants doing?" she asked, feeling exhausted.

"Sit down Hinata," Sakura scolded her, "I'll fix the drinks, you shouldn't be moving around so much." Hinata wanted to say that she'd still be sitting perfectly content if all this hadn't been shoved upon her.

"Oh them?" Ino replied. "They're moving stuff into the baby's room of course."

"The baby's room...?" she asked tiredly.

"Yeah! Remember, we said we'd take care of everything? We figured that the room we all slept in the last time we were here would be a good enough place for it, so we're having the servants put the crib in there and redecorate the place. But don't worry, it won't be anything too overwhelming."

Hinata sighed. She'd have to go up there eventually and tell the servants that she just wanted something simple. Whenever someone like Ino said "not too overwhelming," it usually still involved going pretty far overboard.

"And we bought two cribs," Sakura commented. "One for the baby's room and one for your and Neji's room." In sudden distress, Hinata opened her mouth to say something, but Sakura talked right over her. "Don't worry, we told none of the servants to go in there. We know you don't like people in your room so we just asked them to set up the crib outside the door, and we'll move it in for you later if you want."

Hinata could feel a headache coming on. Perhaps it had been a bad idea letting Sakura and Ino do all this for her, but still.... Everybody was just trying to do something nice for her, so Hinata stayed silent about it.

"How are you, sister?" Hanabi asked in her quiet voice. She didn't sound or look particularly interested though. She was eyeing Hinata's stomach, looking either puzzled or disgusted about something. And Hinata thought that she could guess what. How exhausting. She wished Neji were here. His silent, hovering on the edge of hurting somebody, self would at least be able to get rid of all these people.

"I'm doing well, actually," Hinata answered honestly. _Or at least I was up until a few minutes ago._

"Hm. You look tired," she replied, sipping from her cup.

"It's good to hear," her father amended. "I was afraid you would be upset with Neji gone."

Hinata sighed, trying not to curse out loud - which was something that she didn't do very often, in any case. "What's all this?" Tenten asked from the kitchen doorway, peeping in. Hinata smiled over at her instantly. Having herhere would be a comfort.

After their talk that night, things had calmed down and slipped into a state of ease between Hinata and Tenten. It was strange, knowing that this girl was in love with her husband, but she still wanted to be friends with her. And she believed Tenten whenever she said that nothing had ever happened between her and Neji, and also when she said that she was trying to give up on him. Hinata could see that it was hard for her. And when she thought about it, suddenly the way that Tenten had always acted so uncomfortable in their house made sense. She forced herself to be in a setting where she could see all of Neji and Hinata's life together, tried hard to befriend Hinata and make her happy, even though Hinata had everything that she had always wanted....

Somehow, Hinata had ended up feeling somewhat sorry for Tenten. No, she really didn't like the fact that Tenten wanted Neji - she _really_ didn't like it - but she could see how hard Tenten was trying, and Hinata wanted to give her a chance. She had promised not to betray her, after all.

And Tenten had stayed for most of the day after she and Ino and Sakura had spent the night, even after the other girls had left. She and Hinata had sat together for most of the day, talking comfortably, occasionally even openly discussing Tenten's... situation. And though it made Hinata afraid, so afraid that Neji would one day go to _her_, she was really putting her faith in Tenten.

_"And Neji knows that you love him?" she asked quietly, staring sadly out the window._

_"Yeah...." Tenten replied. She sounded so ashamed. "I didn't even know that he knew, until he just told me not to let you find out."_

_"Why would he say something like that?" Hinata wondered. "Why wouldn't he want me to find out?"_

_"Because he doesn't want you to stress out about it," Tenten replied simply. "He knew you'd worry about it, because any wife would worry about something like that. Even though he doesn't feel the same for me, it would still make you question his faithfulness."_

_Hinata glanced over at her. Tenten was staring at the floor between her feet. "That's true," she agreed._

_"But you really shouldn't doubt Neji, Hinata," Tenten continued softly. "I wish I could show you what I see, when he looks at you. He's never looked at _anybody_ like that, and I should know." She sighed sadly._

"Throwing a party without me?" Tenten was asking now as she walked into the room.

Hinata smiled. "I couldn't resist," she replied with a shrug. When Tenten hugged her, she whispered in her ear, "Do me a favor, and tell the servants upstairs not to go overboard with decorating the baby's room."

Tenten backed up, looking puzzled, as if she wanted to ask _"the baby's room?"_ But then she smiled, and nodded. "Sorry," she said for everyone to hear. "I forgot about something outside. I'll be right back." Then she laughed, and rushed out of the room.

Hinata sighed as she watched her friend go. Because yes, she and Tenten were friends now, despite that usually under such circumstances they would be most hated enemies.

Tenten stopped by the house often now, and they would chat easily, both of them aware of the situation but neither of them acknowledging it. Because Tenten _was_ trying. Hinata just knew it.

* * *

Tenten stepped lightly upstairs, and hoped for a moment that she wouldn't get lost. The place was just so _big_, and there were so many rooms and hallways. It was like a maze once you got upstairs, so easy to get lost. Well, at least by now she could find her way from the living room to the kitchen, and at least she could find the stairs easily enough. The staircase wasn't a very ostentatious one, like you'd expect to find in the living room of such a huge place, but Tenten thought she liked that better. Hinata seemed like the type of person who liked more simple things, and Neji certainly didn't seem one for extravagance. The house was definitely too much, but Hinata seemed comfortable here.

It took a while to find the place where the servants were, even with all the noise they were making. And, finally, she found them setting up the supposed baby's room in the room she recognized as where she and the others had slept when she had come over with Ino and Sakura. "Ah..." she started, looking around at their progress. Both the beds had been moved out, and a crib was being set up on one side of the room. The previous brown curtains that had been over the window had come down, and were being replaced with white lace ones, and the walls were being painted a soft green, of all colors. Tenten could see what Hinata meant about them going overboard. Sakura and Ino must have set this up.

"Hinata said for me to tell you that she doesn't want the baby's room to be too... uh... overwhelming."

One of the servants that was painting sighed heavily. "I was wondering what all this was about," he muttered. "Little Hinata has always appreciated the more simple things. Not that she's so little anymore, I guess."

"I agree," one woman said as she put the curtains up. "Those other two don't seem to know her very well at all do they?" Then she turned to Tenten. "You don't have to worry. We'll fix this place up just the way Hinata would like it. I promise, she'll love it."

"Thank you," Tenten replied, stepping back out into the hallway. She wondered if all clan members were so close with their servants. Maybe it was just Hinata. She _would_ be the kind of person to be nice to people like that. Her father probably hadn't approved, though. He was kind of scary. "Uh..." she said suddenly, glancing one way to the other.

"The way back to the living room is that way," one of the servants offered with a smile, pointing.

Tenten laughed. "Thanks."

* * *

It was late by the time things finally settled down. Not much could be done in the dark, and most of the work was finished anyway. Hinata's father and sister had left not long after they arrived, but Naruto and Tenten and the others were still there. Hinata watched as Naruto and Ino moved the second crib into her and Neji's room. She thought it would really take some getting used to, seeing the thing in there. And she supposed that she'd get used to it soon enough.

"So this is yours and Neji's room huh?" Naruto asked with a little frown, looking over at the bed.

"Um... yes."

He only replied with a short "hmph," and Ino made a face at Hinata from over his shoulder. Somehow Hinata felt like this day would just never end.

"So are you all staying for supper?" she asked politely.

"If it's ramen," Naruto grinned. Hinata laughed uncomfortably, instantly deciding that whatever they were going to eat, it _wouldn't _be ramen.

"Nah, I've gotta go," Ino replied. "I need to go home and feed my cat, probably."

"You have a cat now Ino?" Sakura laughed, and Ino eyed her dangerously.

"It's a kitten. It kept showing up at my door, so I just decided to keep it."

"Poor Ino," Sakura commented, glancing back at the blond girl. "Looks like she's going to turn out to be an old cat lady after all."

Ino's eyes flared up. "What do you mean by that?" she demanded. "At least I _have_ a boyfriend!" She and Sakura glared at each other for a moment, eyes flaring and growling at one another.

"Really?" Tenten asked, curious. "Who are you dating Ino?"

Ino and Sakura turned to her, and Ino blushed a little. "Well... Shikamaru and I started dating last month."

Hinata smiled. She wished her life were as simple as this - fighting with friends, dating for someone you liked. Still.... (She placed a gentle hand on her stomach.) There was no way she'd want to trade her life with Neji for that.

In the end, Sakura and Ino both decided to go home, and Naruto decided to go too when he saw that Tenten was the only one actually staying. Obviously he'd been hoping to stay there alone with Hinata. He looked disappointed to be leaving, and as soon as he was gone, Tenten began to laugh. "Poor guy," she said, but she didn't really sound like she pitied him very much.

Hinata just smiled, and went to fix them something simple for supper. She didn't feel much like cooking after such a long day. Ironically enough, they ultimately _did_ decide to have ramen, and Hinata was half surprised that Naruto didn't come running back at the smell of it. Tenten helped Hinata make it, and they had a good time. It was nice to be relaxed and to laugh after all the commotion that had gone on that day.

"Sakura and Ino looked like they were a little disappointed with the way the baby's room turned out," Tenten commented with a smile once they sat down to eat.

Hinata shrugged. "I think it's perfect," she replied, taking a bite of steaming noodles.

Tenten laughed suddenly, and Hinata glanced up in surprise. "You're so cute Hina-chan!" she exclaimed. _Hina-chan?_ Hinata thought in amusement. But she blushed a little, at being called cute.

"Why do you suddenly say that?" she asked with a tiny laugh.

"Because I can I guess," Tenten replied simply.

Eventually, Hinata ended up asking Tenten if she would like to stay the night again. It was getting late, and she didn't want her friend to walk all the way home in the dark. "I would, but I have training tomorrow with Lee and Guy-sensei," Tenten said. "Hey, why don't you come watch us tomorrow? You know Lee and sensei would just freak to have you there, and it's gotta be better than sitting around here all day."

Hinata smiled a little. "Sure, why not? At least it would be something different."

"Definitely!"

"And I can bring my book too...."

"Have you been reading the one I gave you?" Tenten asked in surprise.

Hinata nodded happily. "It is actually really interesting. And... some things make more sense now, I guess. The pictures are a little strange. How do they know what babies look like when they're still in someone's stomach?"

Tenten laughed at that. "You could always ask Sakura," she said with a shrug.

"Probably."

Later, Hinata was waving Tenten goodbye with a smile from the front doorway, and finally she was able to trudge upstairs to her room. It wasn't until Hinata was there, looking in, that she realized she'd been half expecting to see the light on and Neji waiting there for her. Her face flushed, she stood in the doorway for a moment, as if she waited long enough, he would suddenly appear... but things just don't work that way.

Lately, Hinata was half afraid to go to bed at night, knowing she'd just lie there awake missing Neji. It was always the saddest time, the time that quiet enveloped her little world, and all the thoughts and worries of her husband came rushing back to her. Somehow, even if she steeled herself, Hinata always managed to fall apart.


	18. How It Is

_**Disclaimer: **__oh nothing._

note: {Neji's been gone a month at this point}

* * *

"Ohmygosh!" Ino suddenly exclaimed, and Hinata smiled.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, glancing over. They were in Konoha. Hinata had finally convinced herself into getting out of the house. She'd finished the pregnancy book, and planned on re-reading some parts of it out of curiosity, but she really needed something else to satisfy her reading needs, and so she had planned a trip to the library. It was impossible, however, to make such plans without having some friends tag along and convince her to stay in town a little while longer. That was how she ended up at a tiny restaurant with Ino and Naruto, eating ice-cream at one of the small tables inside. It was an interesting place, the floor was green and the walls were purple, and a large grinning man stood behind a white counter rattling off names of the ice-cream flavors that were available. Apparently, that was all that was served here.

"It kicked me!" Ino squealed happily. She'd been rubbing all up on Hinata's stomach again - which Hinata always found rather uncomfortable, and by the look on his face Naruto thought it was disgusting, though neither of them ever said anything about it.

"Maybe it doesn't like you," Naruto said with an evil grin. Ino looked like she had half a mind to punch him in the face, and Hinata smiled happily. Despite the arguments that always seemed to occur, it was nice to spend time with friends. As for the thing with Naruto, Hinata was trying to pretend that she'd never learned that he liked her. (That's not to say that she still didn't avoid spending time alone with him of course).

Hinata remembered that she should probably go see Tsunade while she was still in town, too. She hadn't had a check up in a while, and the Hokage was fairly insistent about that. Hinata sighed, taking the last bite of her ice-cream and playing with the spoon idly. The time just seemed to have been dragging on lately, with lonely nights and days spent waiting somewhat patiently. Some days she spent with friends, most of the time at home though. Some days she spent with her family, out of boredom, and yearning for company. Her father was immensely proud of her, of course. He was also sure that the baby was going to turn out to be a boy, but Hinata thought he wouldn't mind if it happened to be a girl either.

"Hinata?"

She glanced up, and both of her friends were looking at her. "Yes?"

Ino smiled. "You totally spaced out just now."

Hinata smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry."

Ino winked at her, leaning over in a way that Naruto couldn't see, and for a second Hinata was confused. "Hey Naruto," Ino said suddenly. "Why don't you go to that place next door and get us something to drink?"

Naruto made a face. "Why don't you do it?"

"Because... I'm just too lazy." She threw her hands up in a playful shrug. "And I'm not about to make Hinata do it."

"No way!" Naruto refused.

Ino sighed in an exaggerated way. "You're really going to make a pregnant woman do something like that? How rude Naruto." And so, face red and his hands stuck in his pockets, Naruto finally agreed to it, though he was grumbling under his breath as he walked out the door. Ino laughed and stuck her tongue out at his back when he walked away. "Hey Hinata," she said as soon as he was gone. "I have to go meet Shikamaru in a few minutes, just thought I'd warn you. I didn't want to leave you alone with Naruto of all people, so you might want to take this opportunity to leave before I do." She winked again, and Hinata smiled, relieved. She couldn't imagine how awkward it would have been if Ino had left them without any warning beforehand. And knowing Naruto, he'd probably try to pull a move on Hinata as soon as he was alone with her, whether she was married and pregnant or not.

"Thank you Ino," she replied warmly. Ino could hear the relief in her voice, and she laughed lightly at her. "Actually I do have to go somewhere now. I have to go see the Hokage again." Hinata started to get to her feet, but then Ino came around and helped her up. Even though Hinata knew that her friend was just trying to help, for a moment she just wanted to tell Ino to go away. Her stomach wasn't _that_ big - she could stand up perfectly well on her own.

"Apologize to Naruto for me. And I'll see you later."

"Sure thing!" Ino said happily, waving shortly. Hinata decided to get out of there before Naruto could spot her.

Hinata smiled as she made her way through the village. She passed a few people who recognized her, and they said hello and she waved happily. It was such a nice day. Summer had finally come, and even though the sun was shining down brightly, there was a nice breeze in the air, so it wasn't too warm. Hinata lived for days like this. She just wished that Neji were here to share it with her.

And in no time, she was standing exactly where she needed to be. The assistant, whose name Hinata still had not learned, greeted her kindly, and allowed her in to see Tsunade. "Hokage-sama?" Hinata asked as she stepped into the room.

The woman smiled up at her. "Hinata. I was wondering when you were going to stop by again."

They went through the usual routine - the poking and the prodding as Tsunade checked the baby's chakra, as well as her own, and then the sort of examinations that one would expect any time they went to see a doctor. "How are you lately?" Tsunade asked lightly.

Hinata smiled a little. "Happy," she replied. "I've been spending most of my time with friends."

Tsunade smiled as well. "It's good to hear."

Hinata smiled down at her feet from where she sat, thinking back on all the times she had spent with her friends since Neji's absence. Then his sad goodbye flashed through her mind, and the smile slipped. Neji... gone. "Hokage-sama..." she tried not to let her sorrow show. "How much longer until Neji comes home? It's been a month already...."

Tsunade sighed, and Hinata could feel the woman looking at her sadly. "A while yet. Another month at least."

"At _least_?" Hinata whispered, and her heart felt like it was just going to tear itself right out if her chest. "He will be back in time... won't he?" she asked, placing a hand lightly on her stomach.

"If everything goes smoothly, yes." Hinata looked up at the woman's face, and suddenly the Hokage smiled. "But I promised didn't I? I'm sure that everything will be alright. We received word yesterday that things are going well. Neji will be back on time."

Hinata smiled a little, and let out a relieved breath. To see Neji's face again.... Soon, he would be home. Soon, their baby would be born. And they would share this life together. Just another month. "Thank you, Hokage-sama," she said warmly.

"And you're not even the slightest bit curious about what your husband is doing?" Tsunade asked, an eyebrow raised.

Hinata placed a hand on her chest, fiddling with the zipper on the jacket she was wearing. It was an old nervous habit that she'd never broken. "Well... yes. Of course I'd like to know but... I can understand, if it's information you can't give out to people like me."

"Really? You don't want to hear? Because I was going to tell you, if you asked." Hinata looked up in surprise, a tiny gasp making it's way up from her throat. She glanced at the assistant, who was smiling pleasantly. Tsunade leaned down then, so that her face was right in front of Hinata's. "But it's our... little... secret," she whispered, winking as she placed a finger to her lips.

Hinata felt a smile on her face, hope surging through her chest. If she knew what Neji was doing... maybe she'd sleep better at night. Or maybe she didn't want to know, maybe it was something extremely dangerous that would only make her worry more. But if she had the chance... this chance, she had to take it. "I won't tell anyone," she agreed quietly, and she could feel excitement and gratitude lighting up her eyes.

Tsunade smirked, and walked over to the window, looking out over the people lined streets of Konoha. "There is a large village to the west that was recently burned to the ground. Until that incident, they were our ally. They helped us those years ago, when the Kyuubi found its way into Konoha. When their village burned, they called out to us, and naturally we came to their aid. But a strange rumor had gone around, that there is a curse in that village. Before the fire, people were falling dead left and right for seemingly no reason at all. Neji and the team I hand-picked for this mission are helping to rebuild the town, and also to find out the source of this rumor, this so-called 'curse.'

"And also... it is strange, don't you think, that an entire village - nearly as large as Konoha itself - could just burn to the ground in one night. None of the survivors seemed to know what started the fire. Neji and his team are also investigating that. I've had a bad feeling that all these things are connected - the fire, the deaths before the fire, and the curse." The Hokage turned back to Hinata then, her eyes grave. "You mustn't tell anyone of the things you have just learned. We are trying to keep from any more... unnecessary rumors from going around."

Hinata nodded seriously. "Hai. I understand, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade nodded, and obviously she was finished with her story. Hinata decided it was time to go. She said her goodbyes, but the Hokage called out to her just as she was walking out the door. "And Hinata," she said. "I asked that Neji write you. I'm sure he'll find the time for it. I know you're worried, but he's worried about you too."

"H-how do you know something like that?"

Tsunade laughed. "Just call it intuition. It was nice to see you Hinata."

* * *

_**A/N: **__I don't really, well, have the faintest clue about how Japanese wedding ceremonies go, so for the sake of the story, we'll just say that Neji and Hinata's wedding was an American style one._

* * *

_"You may kiss the bride."_

_You know, they always say "you __may__ kiss the bride," but Hinata wondered if the groom actually ever just looked at the priest and said "You know what? I think I'll pass." Because Neji looked like he might do just that._

_He turned to her, a look of complete determination set on his face like stone, even if he did seem a little embarrassed by all the eyes that were on them at the moment. Neji's lips met hers lightly for just a second, and Hinata felt her heart jump at the brush upon her own lips. She wondered if she'd ever get used to kissing. She'd never done it before. Then Neji stepped back, uncomfortable, but holding his arm out to her while everyone cheered...._

Hinata was pulled out of her reminiscing by a kick from the baby, as if it were saying "stop thinking about the past and remember the present, mother." She sighed, and patted at her belly comfortingly. Idly she wondered if the baby knew or understood anything that was going on in her life right now. "The Hokage said that your dad will be home soon," Hinata whispered, not knowing if it could hear her. Maybe it was a foolish idea, but she wondered if the baby could hear her thoughts, or see her memories. She'd never know. But that was okay.

Hinata remembered the awkward kiss of their wedding again, and laughed. Back then she'd been so sure that kissing was something she'd never get used to, something she'd never be able to do with any kind of ease or casualness. And now....

She touched her stomach again, and the baby kicked the spot where her hand was. She laughed again. It felt good to laugh. Maybe the baby liked that too. She wondered if it would like the room that Sakura and Ino and her father's servants had put so much effort into. She wondered if it would like it's parents, if it was happy now, if it would be happy when it was born.

The thought of giving birth scared Hinata. She wasn't looking forward to the pain, because of course it would be painful. Maybe it would be good if Neji _weren't _there by the time the baby was born... she'd hate for him to see her like that, to hear her screaming. But the baby wasn't due for a good while still, and Hinata shuddered at the thought of Neji being gone so long. She _wanted_ him here - for her and the baby. Even if she screamed. Even if she cried. The pain would never last, and they would be a family together. A real family now that this little one was going to be added to the group. She smiled fondly, and a tear trickled down her cheek to land on her stomach. "I'm sorry about this," she whispered to the baby, though she wasn't quite sure what she was apologizing for. "You are my only company while Neji is away. Even when I'm alone, I'm not really alone. And I'll never be alone again, not with you here." More tears began to fall, slowly. "And we will love you. I don't know if you'll like it here. I don't know if you'll be happy. But Neji and I will love you so much." She began to sob. "We already do. And you don't even know it yet."

Even with the sunlight of a beautiful day streaming in through the window upon her, Hinata could not stand to hold back the tears.


	19. Bad News and a New Housemate

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Naruto, mmk?_

_**A/N:**__ ahhhh, I couldn't think of a name for the village that Neji is in. T_T' Such a disappointing writer._

* * *

Neji was standing stripped to the waist on the wall of the village, looking out at everyone's progress and trying not to think about how uncomfortable it was not to have a shirt on. Much had changed about the place since the time that Neji had arrived. When he'd come, there'd been little left of the place aside from ashes, and few remaining villagers. Even parts of the wall had crumbled down, and they still had yet to fix that either. He sighed shortly. There was still so much that needed to be done. It would be a while before he saw Konoha again.

In the time that he had been there so far, Neji had heard the story of this "curse of the village" time and time again. No one really knew what it was, but apparently it had something to do with the anger of a god-demon, which Neji doubted. He'd never been very superstitious in his life. Also, he'd learned that many of the village's inhabitants had left _before_ the fire, because of the steadily rising death toll. And there was something else. All the people who died in the fire when the village burned down... they had all been locked up together in the same building. No, Neji suspected that this was the work of a human being. Insane; definitely, a demon; perhaps, but nothing near a god. Maybe the person wanted something from the village, or maybe they just wanted to kill people for the fun of it. He would have known more by now, if not for the fact that the fire had destroyed any evidence left behind. Probably, the killer was long gone already.

Suddenly there was a loud banging sound from somewhere behind, and Neji turned to face the forest. There was a great cloud of smoke rising to the east, and then another cloud rose closer to the village, and suddenly Neji could see the trees toppling with his naked eyes. He activated his Byakugan, and stared in shock. Several people joined him atop the wall, his teammates among them. "What is it Neji?" one of them asked.

Something was coming straight for the village, knocking down trees in it's wake. "What the hell is that?" Neji breathed.

* * *

"Are you sure this is alright?" Hinata asked timidly.

Tenten set her bags down with a tired sigh, and rubbed her arms as if they hurt from carrying so much weight. "Totally!" she said happily, winking.

They had agreed on it about a week before.

...Well, actually it was more like Tenten had decided for herself, despite Hinata's protests that she didn't want to cause her any more trouble. Tenten was temporarily moving in with her... but of course, just until Neji came back. The two girls had become quite close, somehow. Tenten had said before, whenever Hinata was lonely she should come and find her. _"You worry too much, Hina-chan," _she had said, using the little nickname she had given Hinata. _"Next time you feel sad, just come and find me."_

But Hinata hadn't done that, and Tenten knew why. It was because Hinata was one of those people - she couldn't accept anyone's kindness without worrying that she was being a nuisance. Hinata never let Tenten see her cry... very much, if she could help it. Sometimes too many things just overloaded her with worries, and she wouldn't be able to hold it in. Hinata hated it - she didn't like the fact that she cried so much, especially in front of people. She didn't like that she felt weak and afraid all the time. It was so embarrassing.

But Tenten never berated her. However, she didn't exactly comfort her either, or at least, not in ways that other friends would have. Rather than offering Hinata exaggerated sympathy and long embraces, she'd just smile, and say a few encouraging words that would make Hinata strong again. _"I wish you didn't keep it all to yourself all the time," _she'd said before.

Tenten had known for a long time how much Hinata was suffering without saying anything about it. Then one day, she'd come up with this crazy idea, and here they were moving her into Hinata's home.

"Are _you_ sure about this?" Tenten asked teasingly. "I can be a pretty lame roommate. I'll help you clean as much as I can but I can't cook to save my life." She laughed happily, and the sunlight from outside lit up her face. They still hadn't closed the front door.

Hinata couldn't help but smile back. There was something about Tenten, her spirit, that always managed to cheer her up. Hinata thought, they could become best friends one day. You see, because Tenten was suffering too, and Hinata saw the little signs that she'd missed before. She knew that the girl was still in love with Neji, and also that she was trying to get over it. That's why Hinata had agreed to this scheme so easily, without insisting too much or making a big fuss. They both needed this now, because they were both lonely, and they both needed to become stronger.

"I'm sure," Hinata laughed. "I haven't told my father yet. And I wonder what Neji would think?"

Tenten laughed a little harder at that. "Oh man. I can't imagine what the look on his face will be when he finds out that I was living here." And there it was again. That half-sad look on Tenten's face. "But I guess I won't be here for very long, since the Hokage said that he might be back soon."

Hinata made a face. "A month is not soon," she disagreed.

Tenten smiled again. "Soon enough. So... wanna help me find my room? I'm sure I'll get lost upstairs one of these days."

Hinata laughed. "I did that once. It took me about an hour to find my way back to our bedroom, and after that I started memorizing how to get from there to the stairs. I don't know how Neji remembered so easily. He didn't seem to have any trouble at all."

"I'd imagine not," Tenten agreed with a smile. "He does just about everything perfectly." There was a clear note of rolling-her-eyes in her voice. "It's annoying to be on the same team as him sometimes."

"So I guess you're glad that you didn't get assigned this mission too." Hinata was still smiling, but there was that feeling in her stomach again. It was a little painful, but mostly just sad, and it had taken her a while to figure out what it was. Jealousy. She didn't even want to _think _about what it would have been like if Tenten had gone with Neji. It would have meant that Hinata would still have no idea about how Tenten felt. And she and Tenten wouldn't have become friends as they had.

"Definitely," Tenten agreed. "There's no _way_ I'd want to be gone for so long. How boring."

"Danger. That's not boring is it?" Hinata bit her lip. She didn't like talking about Neji's mission. Because it _did_ sound dangerous. A curse? People dying? An entire village burned to the ground... and her husband was putting himself right in the middle of it.

"If you're into that kind of thing I guess."

The conversation ended on an abrupt note, and the two of them were quiet as they made their way through the confusing maze of hallways. As was usual whenever Neji was the topic of conversation (or even just a _part_ of the conversation) the air around them had a taste of unease to it. Neither of them ever said it out loud, but they both knew. They were in love with the same man, one of them helping the other while she missed him terribly, and the other reminding the other not to miss him too much. Tenten apologized sometimes. Hinata knew she felt bad.

"He's alright, right?" Hinata asked quietly.

"Of course," Tenten replied, a smile in her voice. She stepped forward so that she could walk next to her friend rather than behind her. "Neji's too strong and smart to do something like go off and get himself hurt while you're at home worrying about him. There's no way he'd do that - he knows better."

Hinata laughed a little. "You make him sound like a child."

"Women _are _the dominant species." Tenten winked again.

"Here's your room." Hinata opened the door for her and gestured inside. "You said you didn't care which one I picked so..." She pointed to a door on the opposite wall, a few yards away. "My room is right over there. Oh and I had my father's servants fix this place up for you, I hope you like it."

Tenten was already smiling, an excited light in her eyes and she looked around what was now _her_ bedroom. The walls had been painted light pink - which was actually not her favorite color, but she still liked it all the same. There were white curtains over the windows, and her very own small couch at one end of the room. The bed sheets were clean and light blue. With the sunlight shining in just right, it was really a beautiful room. Tenten hugged Hinata happily. "Thank you so much Hina-chan!" she laughed. "It'll be so great living together, I just know it!"

Hinata laughed nervously, still not sure if this was really what Tenten wanted. "But won't you get homesick?"

"Homesick? Pft, no way." She went inside the room and set her things - the ones she'd brought upstairs with her anyway - on the bed. "I just moved out of my parent's place not long ago, and my apartment still doesn't have much going for it yet. I hate going home most of the time." She laughed. "We're going to have so much fun, won't we?"

"We will," Hinata agreed with a smile.

* * *

There was an unexpected knock on the door that night. Hinata and Tenten were in the living room in their pajamas, just talking together. Tenten looked out the window to see who it was while Hinata went to answer the door. "It's the Hokage!" Tenten exclaimed in surprise, and Hinata's entire body froze just as she was about to put her hand on the doorknob. The Hokage? The Hokage had never come to her house before. Why would she do a thing like that? Wasn't she busy? Didn't she have work to do? If she needed to tell Hinata something, couldn't it wait until her next check up?

Hinata and Tenten shared a long, lip-biting look. They both knew what a visit like this meant. Bad news.

Hinata's hand moved slowly, as if on it's own, and she watched as it hesitantly turned the knob and swung the door open. "Y-yes," Hinata said quietly. She could hardly find her voice. The look on the Hokage's face was not encouraging - the woman looked upset, and angry.

"Hinata," Tsunade said cautiously. "May I come in?"

"Yes." But Hinata couldn't move her body. She couldn't feel her fingers to take them from the door.

And then Tenten was there, standing at her side. Without a word, the girl pried Hinata's fingers from the edge of the door, and suddenly Hinata had feeling in her hand again. She looked over to see that her knuckles had gone white. "Come on," Tenten told her, leading her back to the couch. Tsunade followed in behind them.

Once sitting down, Hinata felt all the breath leave her lungs. Something bad had happened. Something was wrong with Neji, she could feel it. She was suddenly so scared. So scared that her hands were trembling. Tsunade knelt down in front of her, and took one of Hinata's shaking hands. "Neji is alright, Hinata. Relax. Stress isn't good for the baby." And it was true. Hinata's stomach felt like it was all balled up into a bunch of little knots.

She breathed again. Neji was alright? Why was the Hokage here? "What...?" she started to ask, but her voice got choked.

The Hokage stood straight again, and sat on the armchair near the couch. "There was a problem... at the village I told you about." She eyed Tenten meaningfully.

Tenten took the hint. "I'll go make us something to drink," she said quickly, but she looked worried too. "I'll be right back." And she left, walking a bit stiffly toward the kitchen.

Tsunade sighed. "The village was attacked a few days ago. We just got word today. Neji and his teammates held the thing off, but they're still not sure what it was. The people of the village have all left the place now, fearing the wrath of what they think is some sort of god-demon. Neji reported that it looks somewhat like a man, but the way he described it... it's the strangest thing I've ever heard." She stared off for a moment, eyes unfocused, and then suddenly came back to the present. The Hokage sighed as she reached into her pocket. "He did write you, like I asked." And she pulled a letter out.

Hinata took the envelope reluctantly, and then held it close to her chest. Neji had written this for her. She was a little scared to open it, but she didn't know why. Maybe it was the fact that she knew she'd fall to pieces, reading his words but unable to hear his voice.

"To tell you the truth, I don't know how things are going in that village right now. The rebuilding was really getting done, but now they have less people helping them and I will have to send more of our ninja over there. Come and see me at least once a week, because I won't know anything for a few more days but I can't just get up and leave my work to come here every time there's news." Hinata nodded numbly, and the Hokage stood again. "I have to go back now. Take it easy Hinata, breathe a little. I'm sure Neji's fine."

Tenten came back with cups of tea then, but the Hokage declined, saying that she really did have to leave. Hinata didn't hear her words to Tenten ("Make sure she stays calm, okay? Keep an eye on her.") because she was too trapped within her own little place. A place that was scary, where nobody could tell her with any confidence how Neji really was at the moment, and there was a letter clutched against her chest.

She wasn't aware of anything really until Tenten was sitting next to her on the couch again. The Hokage had already gone. "You're crumpling it," Tenten said quietly, and reached over to relax Hinata's hands from around the letter.

"You take it," Hinata breathed, shoving the thing at her.

Tenten took the envelope, and looked at it for a moment, worried. "Let's read it together, okay?" she said. Hinata nodded. "Okay," she whispered.

Tenten opened the letter up for her - Hinata's hands were shaking too much for her to do it herself. And finally the letter was unfolded before them. Tenten scooted closer to read it too.

_Hinata,_

_I apologize for not writing earlier. I suppose I just don't really know what to say. _

"He sounds so stiff," Tenten noted with a tiny smile. "Doesn't he know how to write to his wife?"

"His handwriting is pretty," Hinata replied quietly. "That's... typical."

"Yeah."

_I'm not really at liberty to tell you about what I'm doing right now, but I do hope you're not worrying too much. I'm fine. Things did get a little out of hand earlier today, but I will come home safely to you. I hope you are doing well._

_-Neji_

"What, that's it?" Tenten demanded quietly. "Man, what a let down. Stupid Neji."

"No..." Hinata said, separating another sheet from behind the first one. "There's something... else." It was another letter, but this one was different from the first. There was no greeting, or signature, and the writing was less pretty, as if he'd written it in a hurry.

_Forget the last letter,_ it read, and Hinata smiled a little. Impulsive Neji. She could almost imagine him writing this at the very last minute, shoving it behind the first before he could change his mind. _I miss you. Quite a bit. I think of you often, and of our child. The Hokage sent word that you are both in good health, and I'm glad for that. Keep yourself well, and don't worry so much Hinata. I always keep my promises._

Near the bottom of the page was one last little note. An _"I love you," _scrawled in the impulsive Neji hand writing. Hinata couldn't help but laugh a little, though there were tears in the corners of her eyes. She held the letters close again, pressing them near her heart. Then, she silently slumped over and cried in Tenten's arms.

* * *


	20. Friends, You Know

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Naruto =)_

_**A/N: **Chapter Twenty?! *gasp* I never expected the story to be this long...._

* * *

Crowded. That was how Hinata felt when she woke up one morning to find her three closest friends in the kitchen. Tenten was at the large table, sleepily drinking coffee, while Sakura and Ino were fussing over breakfast. It had been a peaceful few weeks with Tenten at Hinata's home, but all that had changed when Sakura and Ino found out. _"Oh no way,"_ Sakura had said. _"Tenten's living at your place now?"_ She and Ino had shown up unannounced the very next day, bags in hand and asking which rooms were theirs.

It was okay though. Hinata didn't really mind. Her friends all wanted to do something for her, to make things easier for her while Neji was away - never mind that Sakura and Ino were too loud sometimes; at least Hinata laughed a lot. Tenten smiled up at her from over her coffee when she saw Hinata enter. Sakura was saying something about Ino burning the eggs. There was already a plate of cold toast on the table. "Good morning," Hinata said quietly to Tenten, and the other two noticed her then.

"Hey Hinata!" Sakura said happily. "I hope you're hungry. It'll be good as long as I'm here to save the food from Ino." She winked playfully.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ino demanded. Hinata ignored the two of them as best she could while they bickered, and the eggs eventually ended up in the floor somehow. She was already becoming used to their behavior.

"So what are we doing today?" Ino asked a few minutes later. She and Sakura were sitting at the table now - at opposite ends - at the insistence of Tenten. She and Hinata were handling the breakfast now.

"Whatever you want," Hinata replied with a smile. Secretly she was hoping that the two girls would get out of the house for a while - even with the size of the place, it was still nearly impossible to find some quiet with those two around. No offense to them, because Hinata really did love Sakura and Ino, she just wasn't used to their behavior in her home. It irritated her sometimes, and she'd like to be able to read again.

"Maybe we should redecorate the baby's room," Ino said idly, taking a bite of toast. "Those servants didn't do exactly what we asked them to. It's so dull in there."

"Please no," Hinata protested. "Um, I mean don't bother. It's fine the way it is, and I don't want you to strain yourself."

"It's alright Hinata, really," Sakura insisted. "We like helping you out, and besides... I'm totally excited for when the baby comes!" She squealed happily. "It's going to be so cute! I'm so glad I'll be here with it everyday!"

Hinata stared down at the countertop a little sadly. "Neji should be back before the baby's born," she said to Sakura. "You three won't have to be here anymore. Right?"

"Oh yeah.... That's right. I guess I forgot."

Hinata could feel Tenten's eyes on her then for a moment. "Hey, why don't you guys go shopping for more baby clothes today?" Tenten suggested smoothly. Of course Sakura and Ino jumped at the idea. Hinata sighed in relief, and sent a thankful smile her way. Her friend grinned back at her in response.

Once the two girls were dressed, they were out the door, promising that they'd be back in a few hours "I have training today," Tenten reminded Hinata once they were gone. "Will you be alright here by yourself or did you want to come too?"

"No... really, I need some quiet time at home for a while," Hinata laughed. "I'm glad you didn't remind Sakura and Ino about your training today. They might have never left."

Tenten laughed too. "No problem. I'm just good like that." But once she was gone as well, Hinata had to admit that the house felt lonely. It was empty and quiet again, but that was okay. Hinata trudged upstairs to retrieve her book, but memories flashed in her head once she was up in her bedroom again. Memories of her and Neji. Him rubbing his unbroken arm in relief, his sleeping face, the feel of his arms around her at night. Forgetting about the book for a second, she went over to the bed, and snuggled into Neji's spot, pressing her face into his pillow and inhaling deeply. His scent was already gone, how depressing.

Hinata wasn't sure how long she lay there, and she wasn't sure what she was waiting for. She thought, she's be perfectly content just lying there like that until the day that Neji would come home. Maybe that was what she was waiting for. Some sort of miracle - his return. But the Hokage had told her... with the attack on the village, it would be even longer before Neji could come home. _"I'm sorry Hinata...."_

She must have drifted to sleep somehow, even in the uncomfortable position of half lying on her stomach. She jumped up when she heard the front door slam shut downstairs, and the sound of Sakura and Ino's laughter floated up to her. It was nearly dark outside already. Wow. That had been a hell of a nap.

Trying to look alert, Hinata made her way downstairs to them. Unfortunately, they could tell anyway. "Did you just wake up Hinata?" Ino asked, and Sakura walked over with a smile to fix Hinata's bed hair.

"Yeah, I... didn't mean to fall asleep." She laughed nervously, but a sudden tear made its way down her face.

"Whoa," Ino exclaimed quietly.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" Sakura asked.

Hinata stayed silent. Overcome with sudden grief, she bowed her head and cried softly, wishing she were stronger, wishing that she could endure this.... Sakura held her close and shot worried glances Ino's way.

_"Neji's fine Hinata,"_ the Hokage had told her the day before. _"He doesn't want you to worry."_

* * *

Hinata went to bed early that night - as soon as she could find a good place to interrupt Sakura and Ino's never ending chatter about the baby clothes that they had bought that day. It was no surprise, however, that she wasn't sleepy or tired at all. That nap she had taken was going to mess with her sleeping schedule severely.

Tenten didn't come back until really late that night. Hinata acted like she was asleep. She could hear the sounds of Tenten in her own room across the hall, and then the light footsteps outside Hinata's door as her friend glanced in on her. Tenten walked away after a moment, probably headed for the bathhouse. Hinata sighed quietly and thought, she was lucky to have friends who would check on her like that. Friends who would drop everything in their own lives to stay with her while Neji was away. Friends who would help her through this pregnancy, and distract Naruto so that she could get away while he wasn't looking... haha....

But it was kind of heartbreaking too, and Hinata wasn't quite sure why. She cried again, for the second time that day, and by the time Tenten was back from her bath to check on her again, Hinata was really sleeping.

* * *

Hinata woke the next morning to the sounds of whispers nearby. She lay in bed for a moment, eyes opening slowly, trying to work her mind around whatever the sound was. After a few minutes, she was able to distinguish the voices and actually tell what they were saying. "You think we should wake her up?

"She's been sleeping a lot lately."

"Yesterday she had a nap. She woke up when we got home."

"Do you think she's alright?"

"She's probably just tired. She does have a lot of stress going on right now."

Someone made a sympathetic sound. "Poor Hinata. I feel so bad for her. Good thing she had friends like us."

"You're kind of selfish, you know?"

"Shut up."

Hinata rolled over onto her side, yawning a little so that they would get the hint. "Oh hey. Shh! She's waking up."

Tenten crept into the room, and crouched down next to the bed while Hinata was sitting up sleepily. "Hey," Tenten said with a smile. "Want something to eat? You slept right through breakfast."

Hinata couldn't help but return her friend's smile. Last night, somehow she had felt as though nothing would ever be right again. But today was a different day, and she felt like she had the strength to be happy. "Oops," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to sleep in. But yes, something to eat would be great."

The day passed uneventfully - or at least, as uneventful as a day could be with Sakura and Ino and Tenten around. That night they were all spending time in the living room with their pajamas on again. This was part of the usual daily routine, except that Ino and Sakura were being quiet tonight. They were concentrating hard on the tower of cards they were building, and Hinata had taken the opportunity to get some reading done. It wasn't for a while until Hinata finally thought of Tenten. _She_ was being quiet too. Curious, Hinata glanced around her book to see that her friend was sitting nearby, legs crossed and eyes closed in a poor imitation of Neji's meditation. A small giggle escaped Hinata's lips, and Tenten opened her eyes again, blushing quickly.

"It's harder than it looks..." Tenten said laughingly, uncrossing her legs to stretch out into a more comfortable position.

"Are you bored?" Hinata asked.

"A little. And I kinda wanted to see why Neji likes it so much... to meditate, I mean. It always seems to calm him down, but I never really got it, y'know?"

Hinata laughed lightly again. "He only does it when he's feeling stressed or tense. I don't really understand it either, but I guess it's just... his way of finding his own happy place."

Tenten laughed at her wording, and from halfway across the room, Sakura and Ino cursed loudly as their card tower collapsed. "Man, we were doing so good too!" Ino whined.

"And it took foreveeerrr!" The two girls fell dramatically to the floor atop the scattered cards.

The baby kicked Hinata's insides suddenly, and she gasped quietly, placing a hand on her stomach. Loud sounds seemed to make it do that sometimes, and she wondered why. Could it sense that she didn't like loud sounds? Could it actually hear what was going on in the outside world? "The baby again?" Tenten asked with an excited smile. She crawled her way over to the couch, and looked down at Hinata's stomach and then up to her face. "I always thought... it would be kind of neat to feel it kick. Can I?"

For a moment, Hinata hesitated. Tenten was the first person to actually ask. And... Hinata didn't really like people touching her stomach. It still reminded her of Neji, his hands lingering around her midsection to feel for a kick or movement, on that last day he had been there.... "Of course," she replied with a smile, trying not to let her sadness show. These three girls, her closest friends, they already knew how much she missed Neji. They had already seen her cry. She didn't like for them to feel sad for her. Hinata didn't want to ruin their happiness.

Tenten placed a hand gently on Hinata's bump of a stomach, but she was too careful. Her palm wasn't pressing down hard enough - even if the baby kicked, she probably wouldn't feel it. Hinata took her hand and easily placed it down on the spot where she thought the kick had come from before. Silence filled the room. Sakura and Ino were watching them from the floor in interest. After a moment, the baby moved, kicking the tiniest bit near the place where Tenten's hand was. Hinata's friend gasped softly.

Tenten's reaction was not a lot unlike Neji's had been. She stared at Hinata's face in shock and quiet wonder. "Wow!" she breathed. "That's so.... I don't know."

"It's amazing right?" Sakura asked, sitting up with a smile. "Hey Hinata," she said suddenly changing the subject. The pink haired girl and Ino both crawled their way over to the couch as well, and Hinata felt a little strange being the only one sitting up there, looking down at them all. "I've always been meaning to ask." Sakura shared a look with Ino, and grinned suddenly. Uh oh. Hinata wondered what was on her mind.

"What is it?" she asked quietly.

"Well..." Sakura started slowly. "You and Neji were forced into an arranged marriage, right?" Hinata nodded, failing to see the punch line. "Well wasn't it weird at all? I mean... having to..." she coughed not-so-discreetly "-conceive the baby?"

Hinata felt her face go red all the way up to her hairline. She couldn't even find the words to answer that. Really, she never expected such a direct question from... anybody.

"Come on, you can tell us, right?" Sakura was saying with a devilish little smile. "We're girls. We can talk about this kind of stuff."

Ino was laughing. "Yeah, but this is Hinata we're talking to. I don't think she's going to tell us anything."

Hinata turned to Tenten, her closest of the three friends. Tenten's eyes were just the tiniest bit too wide, and Hinata shot her a pleading look. It was more likely that she would save her from this mess. "Actually," Tenten said with a little smile, "I've been kind of wondering too."

Oh no! "Alright, how about this?" Sakura suggested. "We'll all tell you about our experiences, if you tell us about yours." She winked.

"That's even worse..." Hinata protested quietly.

"Okay, I'll go first," Sakura continued on. "Hmm.... Well, the last guy I had was... Sasuke."

"You filthy lying whore!" Ino shouted overdramatically, and Sakura held her sides in sudden laughter.

"I was kidding! Actually... well...." She blushed a bright pink, but the smile never left her lips. "You guys can't tell anybody. Really. I hate to even think about it myself but... the first guy I had was actually Naruto."

Ino and Tenten's jaws both hit the floor, and if Hinata's face grew any redder she thought that she might start bleeding from the ears. "No way!" Ino exclaimed, and she was laughing too now. "With Naruto? Really?"

Sakura shrugged somewhat indifferently, still looking pleasantly embarrassed. "Well... I was lonely. And Naruto always had that stupid crush on me. When Sasuke rejected me the last time, when I finally gave up on him.... Well, Naruto was there, and he seemed really understanding and so I just...." She giggled.

"Wow," Tenten said. "I never would have thought. And now Naruto likes Hinata. It's so...." She couldn't seem to think of a word to describe it.

"Okay, now my turn," Ino said proudly, and the other two girls turned to her expectantly. Hinata stayed quiet, face burning red, wishing that she could just run away from this conversation. She had never been a very direct sort of girl - she just couldn't talk about things like this! It went against basically everything that she'd grown up to know. "Actually, I have a secret too, but at least this one's not as bad as Sakura's." Sakura stuck her tongue out at her. "My first...." She giggled, seeming reluctant to let the words out. "Actually, it was with a girl."

Hinata thought that she might just faint. This was just too much to handle. She'd never done well with girl talk, of any kind, but especially _this_ kind of girl talk. Not ever.

"Whoa!" Sakura exclaimed. "Are you serious Ino? With _who_?"

Ino laughed mischievously. "I'll never tell," she said in a singsong voice.

Finally, someone looked over at Hinata. Of course it was Tenten. "You guys, maybe we shouldn't talk about this anymore," she spoke up, and Ino and Sakura both turned momentarily from their conversation to see what she was looking at. "I think we kind of... over killed." She laughed nervously.

"Aw, poor Hinata," Ino said, resting her head on her arms on the couch near where Hinata sat. "Her innocent little heart just can't take it."

"She's always been a little shy," Sakura agreed, and she placed her head on the couch in imitation of Ino.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," Hinata said quietly, breathing out finally. She was desperately hoping that the spill-our-secrets part was over. She really didn't want to be involved with anymore of this. The conversation was just... too personal. And besides... she liked to keep her moments with Neji to herself. They were special. Sakura and Ino, their first times hadn't meant very much to them. Hinata's meant... everything in the world to her. Even though the memories were still a little embarrassing, she held them close to her heart. She missed Neji so much.

"You look so sad..." Ino said quietly, and Hinata was shaken out of her reverie. "You think about Neji a lot, don't you?"

"Well... yes." She smiled, and glanced down at the book in her lap. Neji's two letters. She'd been using them as a bookmark. And she had to admit, they were a distraction sometimes. Sometimes she found herself rereading his words over and over again, paying more attention to them than her book. She really should gather up the courage to write him back soon, but she didn't know what to say. And then, what if he didn't want her to write him back? But it felt so rude not to. Conflicting emotions -- she hated them.

"Sorry," Sakura said then. "I guess we really shouldn't ask." Hinata breathed a silent sigh of relief, and then Sakura got up to sit next to her on the couch. The pink haired girl scooted close slowly, and snuggled up against Hinata's side, her head on Hinata's shoulders and eyes wide and pleading. "Buuut... I'm really curious. You can tell us y'know. We won't make fun of you or anything."

Ino was grinning. "Sakura's right Hinata. You can tell us anything. That's what friends are for, right?" She laughed, and placed her hands on Hinata's knees. Her eyes also became begging. "Plleeeeaaasseee?" she and Sakura said in unison.

Hinata almost wanted to cry. When Ino and Sakura wanted something, there was really no getting away from them. "T-there's nothing to tell!" she exclaimed, stuttering a little.

"Well..." Sakura said slowly. "Was it... good?"

A tiny, panicked, half-strangled noise made it's way up through Hinata's throat. She grabbed up her book and hid her face behind the pages, cheeks still flaming with embarrassment.

"Now you guys are just torturing her," Tenten said sympathetically.

"Well then why don't you ask her?" Sakura asked. "She listens to you."

But Tenten just smiled and shook her head quietly. "I won't make Hina-chan do or say anything she doesn't want to. Using our friendship against her like that would just be cruel."

"Can't we just go to bed now?" Hinata asked timidly. Sakura and Ino both pouted, but they did - thankfully - agree. Even so, Hinata had a feeling that they weren't going to give up. How exhausting.

Once she was alone in her bedroom, Hinata sat at the edge of the bed, not bothering to light the lamp, and allowed herself to blush to her hearts content. She liked to be alone most of the time. She had always liked being alone... it made things... easier. Hinata could show all of her emotions only to herself. Around others, she knew that she must seem weak and pathetic. She hated it. And so she steeled herself, she tried to be strong but somehow it just never worked. But here, alone in the darkness of her bedroom, Hinata felt safe. To blush, to cry, to feel sorry for herself. To miss Neji....

"Hinata?"

She looked up at the sound of her name. Tenten was standing silently in the doorway, her shoulder-length hair now hanging loose. She was holding a lit candle in one of her hands. Silently, Tenten entered, and sat down next to Hinata on the bed, placing the candle on the nightstand. "You're lonely aren't you?" she asked quietly.

Until then, Hinata hadn't realized that she'd been crying. She quickly wiped her tears away,

"You don't have to do that all the time you know," Tenten continued softly, conversationally. "You don't have to be ashamed of how you really feel. You're stronger than most people, Hinata. Your emotions are true. For people like me, it's hard to say what I feel so often."

Hinata shook her head aggressively. "Don't say things like that," she protested. "I'm not strong at all. Don't make comparisons like that - you're stronger than I'll ever be. All I do is cry all the time, so...."

They fell quiet then. Tenten looked like she was thinking deeply. Her eyes were sad in the orange glow of the candlelight. "I guess I'm lonely too," she said finally, sighing a little. "Hina-chan, will you stay in my room tonight? Then we can be lonely together."

Hinata nodded quietly, her face still red from the things Tenten had said a moment ago. Tenten took Hinata's hand to lead her across the hall, and that night they lay in perfect understanding of one another. And for the first time in her life, Hinata allowed herself to feel what she might only feel if she were alone. She and Tenten cried quietly together, forming a stronger bond between them than anyone might ever be able to comprehend.

* * *

_**A/N: **I feel like such a bad person. o_O Hinata is crying at the end of just about every chapter, has anyone else noticed that? Man, I really need to give her some backbone, don't I? Maybe motherhood will do it for her. _


	21. Time Is Selfish

_**Disclaimer: **__There isn't a disclaimer for this chapter. _

.:Time_is_Selfish:.

* * *

Sometimes, Hinata felt like time was moving against her. Like two air bubbles caught in the middle of an enclosed space, trying hard to push past one another. Like friction. Time went on, and Hinata could feel herself trapped in the past. She was being forced to move with it now, when all she wanted was to break free. Time was hurting her.

Another month. A month and a week. Two weeks. Hinata was now officially eight months pregnant at least, which of course also meant that she was now more stressed out than ever. She wanted Neji to come _home_. She wanted him _there_, _with_ her - so badly that she could almost feel the brush of his lips on her own sometimes, sometimes she imagined that she was running her fingers through his hair, sometimes she thought she could feel him lying in the bed next to her. What if she forgot what it felt like to have his arms around her? What if she forgot what it felt like to be _safe_ with him? What if the sound of his voice faded into the confines of her memory, along with the look in his eyes that softened them oh so rarely?

She had visited the Hokage so many times in the past few weeks that Hinata thought her head was still spinning from moving from house to Konoha so often. Tenten and Sakura and Ino all knew that she shouldn't be walking around so much, they told her that no matter how many times she went to see the Hokage, nothing was going to change. Neji would come home when the time came, just be patient. But how could she? Hinata was going to have a _baby_ in less than a month's time. She _needed_ her husband. The Hokage had _promised_ he would be there!

Things were getting better in the village that Neji was helping rebuild, however. Apparently almost all the reconstruction was done, and there had been no more attacks on the town. In a way, Hinata was relieved to hear it, but in a way it only worried her more. It meant that the _thing_, whatever it had been, was still out there. It was Neji's job to take care of that thing, wasn't it? That was his mission. He'd still have to confront it, and he couldn't come home until he did. But Hinata could feel something about the situation. Something in the air - there was tension all around, no matter where she went. Something was about to happen. Something was about to break.

It all happened so quickly, really. Hinata was a wreck. She cried, she worried, she bit her nails and ate a lot (even for a pregnant woman) and couldn't seem to sit still at all. Her friends were still there to comfort her, and she knew that they worried about her too, but she just couldn't make herself calm down - not even for their sake. Hinata could feel her stomach rolled up tightly into little knots of stress, and Tsunade had said that wasn't good for her. It could trigger an early birth, and that was something else to worry about - birth.

Hinata was actually going to _have_ this baby soon. And all at once she realized that all this time she'd been thinking of the baby as a sort of... alien living in her stomach. She'd never really imagined what life would be like once it was actually _out_. And she was worried about the pain. She knew that it would hurt, and she wasn't ready for it. Hinata had always had such a low tolerance for pain. It was one of the most unpleasant things about living. Physical or emotional, she _hated_ pain. It just seemed to rip her apart in the most delicate of ways.

Then the news came. Neji was coming home - _soon_. As in, the date was already set kind of soon. Well, sort of - there really wasn't a specific day that he would be coming back. The _thing _that had attacked the village had been found out as some clever hoax. A man with a grudge, who just happened to have the power to control lesser demons. It was a scary thought, but Hinata was glad that Neji was okay. The man that had caused all the trouble, and started the village curse rumor, was now safely behind bars and sentenced to be executed. Villagers were finally going back to their home. As soon as the finishing touches were put on the village, Neji could come home. Neji would be here with her, in their house again, and he would be there in time for the baby.

Hinata had a few teensy tiny mixed feelings about that - Neji would be here to sit with her through the pain. She didn't like him seeing her in pain, she knew it would hurt him too, but then again she was so _grateful_ that she would have him there to support her again. Hinata could be strong, she could be anything she wanted, if her husband were there.

In fact, she was so excited and nervous, anxiously looking forward to the day of Neji's return, her mind so _fixed_ on the fact that he would _be_ there when she had the baby... that the events of one lonely morning completely caught her off guard.

Hinata spent most of her time with Tenten now. The two of them had become the closest of friends - even Ino and Sakura had said something about it. When Hinata woke up in the mornings, she went to Tenten's room, and if Tenten woke up before her, the girl would simply go to Hinata's room. They would sit and talk comfortably with one another for about an hour each morning, both just waking and experiencing the feel of peace. It was only in those few morning hours that everything felt right with the world, that time seemed to slow down for Hinata. They were the most pleasant times spent with her friend.

On this morning, Ino and Sakura showed up at Tenten's door, grinning. Oh, and another surprising new development by the way - Sakura and Ino were together. As in, _together_ together. Apparently the conversation about how Ino's first time had been with another girl had intrigued Sakura, and the two girls had somehow or another ended up falling for each other. It was conveinient too, because just a week before, Shikamaru had broken up with Ino to go out with that sand girl Temari. Ino had claimed that she had no hard feelings, but Hinata suspected otherwise. So anyway, it was good that she had Sakura there to comfort her now. It was a little... strange though. Awkward for Hinata, definitely. She didn't know how to behave around them - their closeness. Sometimes she saw them and was jealous. Well, the two were definitely a perfect couple anyway, considering how much they _still_ fought with one another. It was a little funny, and sometimes ridiculous, but Hinata thought, it worked for them.

So anyway, the two were holding hands when they joined Hinata and Tenten that morning. "Breakfast?" Sakura suggested simply.

Hinata smiled softly at the two girls. She always experienced a sort of care-free high in the mornings. She loved the way the gentle sunlight came in through the windows just right. "I'm not hungry right now," she replied. "But I'm sure I will be in a few minutes."

"What are we doing today?" Ino asked, separating herself from Sakura and crossing the room to crouch down next to the bed. Hinata and Tenten were taking up the edge. "I was thinking maybe we need to get some last minute stuff before the baby comes, you know?"

"Last minute stuff?" Tenten replied, amused. "Don't you think you and Sakura have already bought everything _possible_ in preparation for the baby? I mean, you go shopping all the time. I don't know when this kid's ever going to find the time to wear all the clothes you bought for it."

"Well that's the good thing about clothes," Sakura said from the doorway. She was leaning pleasantly against the doorframe, arms behind her back. "More than likely Neji and Hinata are going to end up having more children after this."

Hinata's face reddened slightly, and suddenly she felt exhausted. "Let's just... focus on one baby at a time please," she said.

Sakura laughed lightly, and Hinata decided that it was probably time for them all to head downstairs. Her morning peace was over - time to get back to reality, experience real-life things... to worry. However, when she went to stand, the strangest thing happened. There was a small pain inside her somewhere, and it stopped her in her tracks. "Oh!" she exclaimed, hands flying up to her stomach. She stood there for a moment, everyone's eyes on her, wondering what was wrong. She paused, but realized that she felt fine after a moment.

"The baby again?" Sakura inquired from the doorway. "Did it kick you very hard Hinata?"

Hinata breathed out slowly, allowing her suddenly tensed muscles to relax. "Yeah, I guess," she replied with a nervous laugh. After another moment of silence, Hinata decided to try to shrug it off, and she was about halfway across the room when it hit her again. It was much more forceful this time. "Ow," she whined, doubling over the slightest bit. Suddenly her heart was pounding. She was afraid, and she didn't know why. Another pain hit her, sharply. "Ah! Tenten..." she cried, alarm ringing clear in her voice.

All three girls rushed to her side. "What is it?" Tenten demanded in quiet concern.

"I'm not sure..." she said, a little breathless. "Ah.... I really think... I think I need to lie down." Her friends helped her over to the bed, and Hinata could practically feel the static in the air - the tension. This was it. This was the breaking point.

Suddenly her water broke. Silence.

"Ohmygod!" Ino shrieked.

"She's having the baby!" Sakura fretted loudly, and all the sudden everyone was freaking out. Hinata could feel her body shaking so badly. She was so scared, so nervous. This something was happening to her body, something she'd never experienced before, and she was... so frightened. Tenten was stressed too, but like Neji, she didn't show many outward signs of it. She just became very stiff, and her expression hardened into one of solid concern. Tenten looked scared, too - like she wanted to cry. "Come on," she urged, still trying to get Hinata back over to the bed.

Ino and Sakura were really losing their heads. They were running around, shouting random things that didn't really matter or make any sense. It appeared that they had completely forgotten what to do in this situation. Tsunade had filled them all in on exactly what to do if Hinata suddenly went into labor, but the woman had had more faith in them than they deserved. Suddenly, Hinata was unexpectedly and unexplainably furious. Pain was coursing through her body now. She was cringing and crying out in pain, and her two friends were running around completely useless. Without warning she reached out and snatched Ino by the collar of her shirt. She pressed her face intensely into the blonde girl's, staring into her frightened friend's eyes. Hinata had to make this _very_ clear. "Go. Get. The Hokage," she uttered dangerously, and suddenly she doubled over again.

"The Hokage," Ino said blankly. "Right. I'll go."

"I'll go too," Sakura offered. "Tenten can you...?"

"Just go!" Tenten shouted at her impatiently. Eventually Hinata did get to the bed, and it seemed like just moments later when the other two girls were back with the Hokage. It was a good thing too, because Tenten looked like her head was going to explode with worry, and Hinata was beginning to experience the pain that she'd been fearing for all these months. Tsunade was very business-like about it all, though. Well, at least someone seemed to know what they were doing.

"Okay Hinata. Just breathe, alright? Come on. You know you can do this. Calm down." Hinata nodded, trying to concentrate on the older woman's voice.

There was a loud knock at the door downstairs. Tsunade cursed quietly, and Ino went over to the window to see who it was. "Hey. It's Hinata's father..." she said.

"Hiashi," the Hokage growled angrily. "What does he want at a time like this? One of you go down and tell him to go away. I don't need Hinata's _father_ in here, of all people."

"I'll do it," Sakura said. She was still hovering near the doorway, eyes wide. Ino, obviously feeling out of place and afraid, followed her. A minute later, there was another, different loud sound from downstairs, and after a moment Ino rushed back into the room again. "He says Neji's back! Neji's back, Hinata! He's just outside the village!"

Hinata was roused enough by _that_. For one single quiet instant, she and Tenten stared one another in the face. The man they had both been missing all this time had finally returned, and here Hinata was having his baby. Slowly, Tenten grasped one of Hinata's hands between both of hers. She squeezed tightly, sudden tears filling her eyes. "I'll go get him," she whispered quietly, and she sounded almost in pain. "I'll get him for you Hina-chan. I'll do it just for you. I'll bring him back to you, I promise."

Hinata nodded, so grateful. She knew she'd never be able to pay Tenten back for everything that the girl was giving up. She knew she'd never fully understand the emotions that Tenten was experiencing. But she did understand what this meant to her. To Tenten, this meant letting go for good. Like a father giving away his daughter on her wedding day, she'd be giving Neji up forever, handing him over to Hinata once and for all.

Tenten wiped her tears away before rushing out the door.

* * *

It wasn't difficult to find them at all, Neji and his group of teammates. They were using the main road that lead right into Konoha after all, but they were still a good ways away. Tenten didn't mean to startle them, really. But this was _desperately_ urgent. Her best friend was having a baby - her best friend had been counting so much on Neji _being _there. And so, Tenten rushed upon them without thinking.

In a flash, everyone in the little group was on the defense, but she rushed right past most of them, hurrying right up to Neji, right up to that face that she was so familiar with. And she didn't have time to think, "_this is the man I'm in love with, this is the person I've been trying so hard for_...." She grabbed his arm, and tugged urgently, pulling him in the direction of his home. "Neji!" she exclaimed breathlessly. "Come on, what are you doing? We've gotta go now!" She tugged impatiently, but he just stood there, unmoving, staring at her with a big W-T-F written clearly across his face.

"Hey!" one of his teammates called out angrily. "Just who the hell do you think you are? We have orders to report directly to the Hokage!"

"The Hokage's busy at the moment!" she shouted furiously, and she was suddenly, irrationally angry at the man. Momentarily forgetting all about Neji, she stormed right up to the loud-mouthed bastard and grabbed him up by the front of his shirt. "Don't you understand what I'm telling you?" She began shaking him violently. "_This man's __wife__ is in __labor_!"

Dropping the man to the ground, Tenten turned back for Neji again, only to find that he was already long gone. She cursed loudly and rushed after him. He was flying through the trees so fast, it was actually difficult to keep up. "Is she alright?" he asked stiffly once she was at his side.

"She's... okay. The Hokage was with her when I left."

He simply nodded at that. After a moment he commented, "You were a bit forceful back there."

Tenten couldn't hold back the tiny smile. "I learned it from your wife."

* * *

Neji was frightened of what he would see once he entered his home. It had been so long since he'd been there. Suddenly his house didn't feel like _home_ at all. It loomed tall and dangerous, threateningly. What kind of pain was Hinata in? He hadn't seen his wife in months.... "This way!" Tenten called once they were inside, and they didn't bother to close the front door behind them. Tenten lead the way upstairs, to a bedroom just down the hall from his and Hinata's own bedroom. But Neji heard the strangled screams long before they reached it.

It was... the most frightening sight. The only thing that Neji really saw was Hinata, lying there in pain, crying out. He froze there, in the doorway, unable to take even one more step closer to this nightmarish scene. Tenten rushed right up to his wife's bedside, and grasped one of her hands. "I brought him back," she breathed. "Hinata, Neji's here. I brought him back like I promised."

"Neji?" Hinata asked, and she looked over right at him, standing there in the doorway. It wasn't until then that Tenten seemed to realize that Neji hadn't followed her to the bed. She quickly crossed the room and snatched his arm again, pulling him over to Hinata. "Neji," his wife said with a little smile. Her face was red with pain, and she was already sweating quite a bit. She touched his face with a slightly trembling hand. "I'm really scared," she whispered. He felt her fingers linger over the half healed bruises and scrapes of his face. "You're hurt," she breathed, and then she gasped in pain.

Alarmed, Neji took her hand and held it close. "Don't worry about me," he said. It was so foolish. How could she lie there in pain like that, and worry about his week-old injuries? It was ridiculous. And crouching at her side like that, Neji felt his heart wrenching painfully as she cried out.

* * *

It must have been hours later, when finally another cry pierced the air. "Ah," Tsunade sighed. By now the woman was sweating nearly as profusely as Hinata was. She'd been stressing quite a bit. "It's... a girl," the Hokage said pleasantly, a smile crossing her features.

Neji wasn't sure what kind of emotion he was feeling. It was... really strange. Alien-like. The tiny, blood covered baby in the Hokage's arms was too real. The past six or seven months since he and Hinata had discovered that she was pregnant had not been nearly enough time to prepare him for this. The sight of that crying child, that baby girl who belonged to him and Hinata alone... it completely rattled his world. "A girl?" Hinata gasped. She was only half conscious by now, and her hair was all sweat matted, sticking to her face. "Let me see her. Give her to me." As weak as she was, somehow the girl managed to prop herself up and extend her arms tiredly toward the Hokage and her new daughter.

"Neji, help her," Tsunade said firmly, but he really had no idea how to do that as she wrapped the baby up in a blanket and passed it over. Then he saw that Hinata was too weak to hold the child on her own. He gave her shaking hands support with his own strong ones, and Neji half-held his daughter for the very first time.

Hinata seemed to be in simple shock for a moment. Her eyes grew impossibly wide, staring down at the child as if she hadn't been expecting it at all. Hinata's expressions were a total demonstration of how Neji felt. Suddenly, Hinata smiled. She couldn't seem to take her eyes away from the tiny human being in her arms. Then without warning, she slumped over into unconsciousness.

* * *


	22. The Tearing Down of Walls

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own~ Naruto._

_**A/N: **__Here - an unusually long chapter for you :)_

.:The Tearing Down of Walls:.

* * *

"How has she been?" Neji asked quietly. He was standing with his back against the doorframe, unable to take his eyes off of the baby girl in his arms.

Tsunade had left earlier, not so long before. Her assistant had come, urging her back to Konoha. Apparently there was pressing business for the Hokage - she had sighed heavily, claiming she couldn't be away from her desk for more than an hour without someone running to her for something. Ino and Sakura had been unusually quiet since the birth of Hinata's child - they'd gone downstairs in the kitchen to talk. They'd both been a little shaken by the events of the day. Tenten couldn't claim that she was doing much better though. Hinata still hadn't woken from unconsciousness. Tsunade had done something... she'd said that Hinata should be fine. Soon enough she would be awake - _"just give it time and don't bother her."_ But seeing her friend like that was doing nothing for Tenten's frayed nerves.

She sighed heavily at Neji's question. "Worried. Stressed out. She cries a lot, but that's really nothing out of the ordinary...." She smiled lightly. Hinata was such... she was such an innocent. Tenten was sitting on the small couch to the right of the room. They had brought the crib in from Neji and Hinata's room a little while earlier - the baby would sleep there if Neji ever actually put it down. The crib was on the opposite wall from Tenten, looking still rather empty without an occupant.

She glanced over at Neji then, only to see that he was glancing over at her. There was a serious expression in his eyes, but it seemed somehow more significant than his usual Neji-seriousness. His brow furrowing slightly, his eyes then traveled to where his wife was lying on the bed. Her breathing was even, and there was more color in her face than there had been, but Neji seemed almost afraid to go to her side. Tenten thought that he probably found the sudden silence disturbing - just an hour or so earlier, there had been a lot of excitement going on, and now everything was quiet.

Hiashi had showed up again by now too. Apparently he'd been pacing restlessly at home, and was angry that no one had come to tell him when the baby was born. The man had greeted Neji with a curt nod, glanced at the new addition to the Hyuga family, and then at his unconscious daughter. After that, he had promptly left to spread the word. Once he was gone, Neji had said something about... as soon as Hinata was back on her feet, the wall separating the Branch House from the Main House would be torn down. Tenten didn't fully understand what that meant, but judging by the look on Neji's face when he said it, it was obviously something that was quite important.

"I'll have to apologize to her," Neji replied then. Tenten had never heard him speak so quietly... his voice was almost... soft. "Many times." For an instant, he looked so sad. It tore lightly at Tenten's heart, but she quickly shoved the feeling away. She didn't love Neji anymore. Neji belonged to Hinata. Only to Hinata. She understood that now more than ever.

"I think, overall, that would just make things worse," Tenten said, also speaking quietly. It was hard to raise voices around the unconscious Hinata. Almost heartbreaking. "Hinata understands why you had to leave Neji. I think she'll just be glad that you're home."

"...You're probably right." He paused then, but Tenten sensed that there was more he wanted to say, so she waited. "You... seem to be... close to her now," he commented, apparently looking for the right words to say.

Tenten sighed with a little smile, her eyes softening as she looked over at her friend. Hinata could be sleeping for all she could tell. "Yeah. She's my best friend now, I guess." She turned in time to see Neji looking surprised at that. "I've been living here you know," she continued with a smug smile.

"Living here?' he repeated, obviously (or at least, as obvious as any Neji Hyuga emotion could be) even more surprised now.

She laughed at his reaction. "Yeah. Me, and Ino and Sakura."

Neji seemed incredulous, even a little unsettled at this new information. Tenten could imagine why - two of the craziest girls in town, and a girl who was in love with him, all living in _his _house with _his _wife while he was away. It was laughable. "I can't imagine Hinata asking the three of you to do something like that," he remarked.

Tenten scoffed. "Of course not. Hinata never asks for anything, if she can help it. But she really needed somebody so... we kind of just barged in on her. Don't worry though. We were only planning to stay until you got back, so... I guess we'll be leaving now." Actually, it was really sad to think about. Tenten hadn't even considered it, up until this point. She'd been living here with Hinata for... months. Of course she'd known that she would eventually have to leave, but going back to her tiny apartment now... it was a lonely thought. Neji and Hinata would need their space now that they were together again, and now that they had a baby on their hands. Tenten probably wouldn't be able to come back for a while. She bit her lip with worry - it was a habit she had picked up from Hinata.

It was a long time before she or Neji spoke again. He was the one to break the silence, which was unusual for him. "You... can stay for however long Hinata wants you here," he told her. Tenten turned to him in surprise, and he cleared his throat uncomfortably - she knew he couldn't possibly be happy with the idea. "If that's what makes her happy."

Tenten laughed, in a relieved kind of way. "No. Neji, I can't stay here now. Not now that you're home, and you've got a baby to deal with. Even if Hinata asked me to, I'd just have to turn her down." She paused thoughtfully. "Be careful about making the same offer with Ino and Sakura though," she joked. "They'd take you up on it in a second."

A vein visibly began to pulse on Neji's forehead. "I don't find that amusing," he said, eyes closed as if he felt a headache coming on. Tenten's eyes trailed downward to the little bundle of blankets in his arms. He already seemed like an expert at holding the baby... such things were to be expected from Neji of course, but really, Tenten had half thought that he would be more awkward with a child. From where she sat, she couldn't see the baby's face, but it appeared to be sleeping. She smiled a little, wondering what Hinata would decide to name it. Over the weeks that had passed, the four of them had chewed over a few names, but most of them had been for boys.

Tenten frowned suddenly, noticing once again all the dirt marks and scrapes that seemed to cover Neji from head to toe. There was a bruise still half visible on one side of his face, and he was still all dirty and scratched up from travel and his mission. She stood and crossed the room to him. "Maybe you should go take a bath," she suggested, and he turned to her as if he were offended. She _almost_ laughed. "When Hinata wakes up, she'll expect you to be here, but she'll probably also prefer you _not_ to be covered in dirt when she sees you. Besides, you're going to get the baby's blankets dirty. Here." She half extended her arms. "Can I put her in the crib?"

It was a silent moment. For just an instant, Neji was glancing from her to the baby, almost worried looking. He didn't know what he should do, that was clear. Wait here for Hinata to wake up, or go bathe quickly? "The Hokage said it might be a while until Hinata wakes up," she continued softly. "It's not like I'm going to bother her or the baby. C'mon Neji." She reached for the baby, and he gently passed it over to her.

Smiling a little, Tenten held the child close. This, this beautiful baby, was the child of the man she loved and the woman who had become her best friend. The baby girl had no definite hair color as of yet, but, obviously, she had been born with Hyuga pale eyes. Those tiny purple eyes slid open as she was passed over, and the child gazed unknowingly up at Tenten's face. Almost as silent as her father, she seemed. Tenten could feel a much warmer, more genuine smile forming its way on her face. "Wow," she said quietly. "You're cute, aren't you?" When she glanced up at Neji, she thought she caught a soft smile on his face. It must have been her imagination.

"I'll... return soon." And he was out the door.

* * *

When Neji returned from bathing, he nodded in acknowledgement of Sakura and Ino, who were both still sitting at the kitchen table. Thankfully, they weren't doing anything wild, but they _were _holding hands, and not exactly in a way that said _we're-just-friends_ to him. When had _that_ happened? Well, at least Sasuke Uchiha would be happy with this new development. Maybe they wouldn't bother the guy as much now.

Neji didn't personally know the two girls very well - just that they were loud and mostly annoying. He couldn't even imagine the fact that they'd been staying at his house for the months he'd been gone. It was a thought that made him shudder to consider, and he would have pitied Hinata for being stuck with them, but then again, the girls usually made Neji's wife very happy. Still....

Neji paused just before he left the room, and glanced over at the two girls. "Thank you," he said shortly. "For staying with my wife."

Sakura smiled softly. "No problem. We just... wanted to do what we could for Hinata."

He inclined his head at that a little, and started his way upstairs. Perhaps there was something more to those two than he had thought. He could hear Tenten talking quietly to somebody as he stepped into the hallway of the bedroom. For a moment, he thought that Hinata had woken without him there, and worried, but when he glanced inside, he saw that Tenten was talking to the baby. She was sitting on the bed at Hinata's side, looking down at the child in her arms.

"I wonder what your name is going to be?" she said quietly, smiling a little. The baby in her arms huffed a little, grunting as if it were trying to talk back... responding to the sound of her voice. Its little arms moved around in the air aimlessly. It... bewildered Neji a little bit, really. He'd never had any thought for children at all, had never minded babies when he saw them. He didn't understand them. Maybe he wouldn't be good at this after all.

"When do you think your mother will wake up?" Tenten asked quietly, and she wasn't smiling now. She seemed sad. "She's worrying me you know." The baby continued to squirm about, making little noises. "You're _really_ cute," Tenten continued, the smile returning. "You're the luckiest child in the world."

She looked up as Neji stepped into the room, and opened her mouth to say something. Neji noticed Hinata's fingers twitch then, and her head moved on the pillow. Tenten and Neji both froze, their attention completely on her now. She didn't move anymore. "Hinata?" Tenten asked quietly. "Hinata."

Hesitating only a little, Neji made his way to the bed, and crouched on the floor next to Hinata's head. She was facing him, but her eyes were still closed. Gently, he took one of her hands, only glancing at Tenten. He wasn't used to showing such affection with actual people around. It was a little unsettling. Neji didn't like to think that people's eyes were on him, and Tenten saw more than most others already anyway. "Hinata," he said, his voice hardly raising above a whisper.

Hinata's eyes opened slowly. For a moment, she just stared at him, her eyes flat as if she didn't understand what she were seeing. "You're hurt," she said finally, repeating her earlier words, and _her _voice _was_ a whisper.

Neji grimaced silently. "That's not important."

Hinata looked up at Tenten then, and she smiled a little. Somehow, Neji felt a slight pang of jealousy. His wife would smile at Tenten but not for him? Ouch. Then again, he supposed he deserved it. Just minutes before he'd been mulling over the fact that he had been gone for _nearly _three months of Hinata's pregnancy. Ino, Sakura, and Tenten had all been there to care for her when he couldn't. They'd been at her side when he should have been. He'd actually made things worse for her, and Hinata had almost had this child without him there. By all rights, the baby was more Hinata's friends than his. It was a depressing line of thought.

Suddenly Hinata's breath caught in her throat. She'd spotted the baby in Tenten's arms, and now she was moving so that she could reach for it. "Can I hold her?" she breathed, and she looked as though she were about to cry.

Tenten smiled, and gently passed the baby over. Neji stood and helped Hinata up into a sitting position so that it would be easier for her. His wife stared down at the baby she was holding, their child, and was all the sudden speechless. "Neji...." She choked on his name a little, and he smoothly sat up on the bed next to her, an arm around her back. Their daughters eyes were still open, but she wasn't making those little noises like she had been for Tenten a moment before. She wasn't kicking or moving her hands in the air either. The baby was perfectly still, staring up at her parents with large, pale Hyuga eyes, as if it were curious. It was as if the child _knew_ that this moment was important.

"Katsu" Hinata said suddenly, and she laughed lightly. "That's her name. Right?" She turned to Neji, a certain light in her eyes that he was sure he'd never seen before.

"I like it," he replied, returning her smile with one of his own.

"Hey..." Tenten breathed suddenly, and Hinata and Neji looked up to see that she was staring out the window. "It's snowing...."

It was true. Neji could clearly see the large flakes of white ice drifting silently to the ground outside in the darkness. Hinata's almost-but-not-quite nine months of pregnancy had carried them all over into early November - this was the first snow of the season. Really, it seemed to Neji that it had only been weeks before, as Hinata stared out the window into the misery that she felt was winter. Well, at least she wouldn't have to worry about training in the cold again. She'd be too busy at home with Neji and the baby.

"Hey," Hinata said suddenly, and the expression on her face was so strange... almost distant. She didn't look like she minded the snow though., because after a moment, she smiled a little. "Neji, we've been married for _over_ a year now. Wow. Can you believe it?"

Over a year? Already? That couldn't be right. But then again, it had been September of last year when they were married. They had found out about Hinata being pregnant in... March? She'd been two months then. Quickly, he did the calculations in his head. Almost nine months from late February made it November. "Wow" was right. How had so much time managed to pass so quickly?

Neji kissed the top of his wife's head lightly, still thinking about it. "Happy late anniversary."

* * *

_**A/N: **__Yes, I just managed to do the calculations myself, and it was no easy task let me tell you -_-' I had originally planned for the baby to be born __on__ their anniversary, but the numbers just wouldn't match up with the seasons and such... *heavy sigh*_

* * *

Once Hinata was on her feet and feeling well again, things began to change in short order. Ino and Sakura and Tenten all three packed up and left, saying sad goodbyes to Hinata and the baby, and - on Ino and Sakura's part at least - awkward goodbyes to Neji. Tenten just gave him the peace sign and grinned before leaving. Actually, Hinata was surprised at how sad she truly was to see her friends go. She'd gotten used to having them around in the past few months. Hinata just knew that one morning she would walk over to Tenten's room, only to find it empty. Or she would expect to wake to the sounds of Ino and Sakura bickering downstairs, and open her eyes only to realize that they weren't there anymore.

She told Neji as much, and he held her lightly, kissing her forehead gently. Hinata sighed with content. She'd missed this so much. "I left you... for too long," he said quietly. "They were there for you when I couldn't be. It's no surprise that you became attached to them."

Hinata nodded, pressing her face against his chest. "I guess I was so busy missing you that I didn't really appreciate having them around as much as I should."

"...I'm sorry."

Curious at the sudden change in his voice, she glanced up at him. Hinata's breath froze in her lungs for a moment. Neji was looking down at her, and his eyes were so... guilty. He looked almost like he was in pain. She'd never seen that expression on his face before; she had never thought that it was possible for him to look like that. "Why...?" Hinata reached up to touch his face. She couldn't find the right words to ask. She just wanted to shake him, to get the answers out.

"I'm sorry," he said again.

"Don't apologize. I don't understand what's the matter."

Neji pulled her close then, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, and pressing her face into his chest so that she couldn't see his face. "I'm sorry."

Hinata didn't understand at all. She didn't know why he was sad, why he was saying sorry, or exactly what he was feeling so guilty about. She didn't know why he had cried that night... that night before he left. She could only guess that he was regretting having to leave her while she was pregnant, but Hinata had known _why_ he had had to go. Even though it had torn her to pieces the entire time that he was gone, she had known that he _had_ to do it. She had kept missing him, and focused on the thought of him coming home. And he was back now, so why was he sad? Hinata... couldn't have been happier.

Days passed. Having a baby in the house took some getting used to. Hinata wasn't used to feeding, or changing, or waking up in the middle of the night whenever Katsu cried. Thankfully, though, she apparently had it better off than most mothers, because Katsu would sleep for most of the night in her crib. Of course, Neji and Hinata would be keeping their daughter in their own room for awhile... or at least, for a few years until Hinata was willing to let Katsu out of her sight long enough so that she could sleep on her own. Katsu didn't cry a whole lot either - only when she really, really wanted something. According to Tsunade - who came to see them several times after Katsu's birth - their daughter was unusually quiet, as far as babies go. Katsu especially liked to listen to Neji and Hinata talk, which was probably why she cried at night while the two of them were asleep. If they picked her up and lay her between them, she would become comfortably content, and fall into a deep, happy sleep.

It was... definitely different, but still nice. Neither Neji nor Hinata were quite ready for all of this yet - the glories of parenthood - but here they were, with little Katsu, and they would just have to do the best they could. She just seemed so tiny and fragile - she couldn't even lift her own head up yet. Hinata was almost afraid to hold her half the time, but Neji's hands were always strong, and he held their child with confidence that Hinata hadn't quite seen in him before. She was really glad to have his help, because she wasn't sure if she would ever be able to do this kind of thing on her own. It was awkward with her baby sometimes. Hinata could hold Katsu and love Katsu and kiss Katsu, but what was she supposed to _do_ with her? Didn't most girls take delight in talking to little babies? Hinata just wasn't sure how, and neither was Neji, so it was probably good that the kid was the silent type.

Katsu was two weeks old when the wall between the Branch House and Main House was finally destroyed. The Hyuga family celebrated that night, and Hinata and Neji watched together, holding their child, as the wall was crashed down. They had had to hold Katsu's ears because the noise was loud - the baby didn't really seem to mind, other than the fact that the unexpected noises made her jump a little, but they still thought it was good for them to cover her little ears.

At the end of the night, only one small section of half crumbling wall remained, and by morning, Katsu's likeness was painted upon it, her name written beautifully at the bottom. Hinata was touched. She showed her baby the picture of herself, although, she wasn't sure if Katsu understood what it meant.

Hinata and Neji had also decided that they would never treat their daughter much like a baby, either. Of course, it's wasn't as if they were _expecting _things from Katsu, but they weren't going to expose her to any more baby talk than absolutely necessary, because even Hinata found it a little annoying. Besides, Katsu would probably learn how to speak faster/better without people in her face googoo-ing and gaagaa-ing all the time. Not that they could keep Sakura and Ino away from her for very long of course.

Hinata's friends, though they didn't live there with her anymore, still visited often - Tenten most of all, but more because Hinata insisted upon it. Just months ago, Tenten was moving in though Hinata felt bad about it, and now Hinata wanted her over all the time and Tenten was the one who felt awkward. She whispered to Hinata whenever Neji was out of the room once, _"I feel like you and Neji need your space with Katsu. I've been around you for months and he just got back."_ But honestly, Neji didn't mind having Tenten around - or at least if he did, he was very good at hiding it around Hinata. She told her friend as much and also told her not to worry about it.

Naruto also came by to visit, surprise surprise. When he heard the news about her baby, apparently he had felt obliged to come over and check it out for himself. Hinata wondered if Neji knew that Naruto had a crush on her, or if it was just that Naruto annoyed him more than most people, because her husband was really very quiet whenever he was around. Somehow she could just sense tension rolling off of him. And Naruto acted strangely embarrassed for a while when he was over. He was strangely quiet, especially considering how typically loud he was. Katsu was sleeping when he first arrived. Hinata wouldn't have minded going upstairs to get her, but Neji had firmly said that it would be best not to wake her up, and the three of them had spent some awkward time together in the living room.

Eventually though, Katsu began to cry - well, it wasn't actually crying, it was more like shouting loudly, to get their attention - and Hinata brought her down. When Naruto finally saw her daughter, something in the atmosphere around him just changed. "Hey, she looks just like you Hinata! Well... littler, but other than that." It was kind of true, Hinata guessed. Katsu had the same unusual almost blue hair color as Hinata did, and of course the eyes were the same, but Hinata was seeing more and more traces of her father in her every day. After that, Naruto grinned and laughed. He even held the baby once (Hinata thought that her husband's head was going to explode, but she managed to convince him that Katsu was okay with Naruto, for a moment anyway). Naruto played with Katsu like Hinata hadn't seen anyone do before. And Katsu laughed for the very first time.

Before Naruto left, he pulled Neji aside, looking rather embarrassed again, and Hinata watched from inside, looking out the window. She couldn't hear what they were saying of course, but Neji looked... angry at first, arms crossed, and then rather suddenly taken aback. When Naruto finally left, her husband looked a little bewildered, and Hinata was suddenly overcome with curiosity to know what Naruto had said to him. "What was that?" she asked when Neji finally came back inside.

Silently, he shook his head. "I will never understand Uzumaki Naruto," he muttered, and that was all he would tell her.

Hinata's father was one who didn't visit as often as she had expected he would - apparently he was satisfied now that she and Neji had finally borne a child. Hinata had almost expected him to be staying over at their house enough to practically be living there, but he only visited about once a week. Hanabi came to see them more often than he did, which was a pleasant surprise. Throughout all of her younger sister's life, Hinata had always tried to form some sort of bond with her, but it had never worked. Hanabi had always hated her, as far as she could tell. Their father had filled Hanabi's mind with thoughts of Hinata being weak all throughout her childhood, and even when Hinata had tried to get close to her baby sister, Hanabi had ignored her, or said mean things to her. When Hinata was finally accepted by the family, Hanabi hadn't known what to think, seeing as she'd grown up to think of Hinata as an outcast. Hinata didn't quite know where they stood now, but Hanabi really seemed to take a liking to Katsu.

Usually Neji left Hinata alone with her sister whenever Hanabi came to visit - it certainly wasn't as if _he'd_ ever been close to the other girl. Hanabi was quiet whenever she came over, which was normal, but she always asked to hold the baby, and she was always very careful with her. It was an unusual thing, because Hanabi didn't ever talk to Katsu, but Katsu constantly tried to talk to _her_. The little baby would kick and move about, grunting and gurgling and occasionally squealing whenever Hanabi was holding her. Katsu was also picking up a nasty habit of hair-pulling, and it would probably be a while before she grew out of it, especially seeing that almost all of her family members had long hair.

Hinata's teammates and sensei also came to see the new addition to the family. Kurenai absolutely adored the baby of course. Shino stayed as silent as ever, but Kiba... well, he was almost _too_ excited around Katsu. It was just like him to want to be too rough with her. Hinata made a point of not letting him hold Katsu for very long periods of time. She liked Kiba well enough, he was her friend, but she knew him too well. He was too loud around Katsu too, and Hinata's daughter almost looked... intimidated by him half the time. At first when he held her, grinning down and saying things in a loud voice as he spoke to Neji and Hinata, Katsu just stared up at him with large eyes. Then, apparently she decided that she wanted to mimic him, because she began "talking" unusually loudly. It was almost comical.

Rock Lee and Might Guy also both came over, much to Neji's annoyance. Hinata thought, as surprisingly annoying as Lee and Guy both were, Neji didn't seem to hate them as much as he did other people. She figured it was probably because he was used to them by now.

And so, time went on as Neji and Hinata struggled to take on this new life that had suddenly been thrust upon them. It was surprising how quickly Katsu became a part of them though - not just a part of their lives of course, because that was obvious, but how much _love_ they felt for her so quickly. Hinata, sometimes when she sat alone with her daughter, felt more at peace than ever. At first she had thought of this little baby as... as an alien thing, inside her stomach but now.... Only a few short weeks had passed, and she already couldn't imagine a life without Katsu. And sometimes she caught Neji acting... sort of ridiculous around their daughter, and that was rather amusing. It was interesting, and funny, and touching all at once, to see the way he acted around their daughter. Sometimes so unsure, sometimes so brave, sometimes so... almost silly. Neji had always had a competitive side, and he became easily jealous no matter what others thought, and he obviously didn't like the fact that other people could make their daughter laugh and he couldn't.

Hinata thought, she would always remember the night he finally accomplished it. Neji was sitting in the living room floor for some reason, holding Katsu in his arms. She still obviously wasn't big enough to sit up on her own - they still needed to help her keep her head up most of the time for her, but she still moved around a lot for something so quiet and uncoordinated. Hinata was on the couch reading for once - she hadn't picked up a book in a while, since Katsu was born - and she wasn't paying any attention to Neji. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the loudest giggle Hinata had heard come from her daughter's lips. Half incredulous, she put down her book and looked over at them, but Neji had his back to her. After a moment, he looked over his shoulder at her, grinning victoriously.

"What did you do?" she asked quietly, and got up to walk over and crouch next to them. Neji shrugged, but Katsu was looking up at him expectantly, smiling with her gums showing, waiting for him to do whatever he had done again. "Neji?" Hinata asked, smiling a little. He must have done something truly stupid to make their daughter laugh like that, and Hinata had never even considered such a thing as _stupid_ silly Neji. She was really curious now.

"Nothing," he said, still smiling, but he was blushing a little. Katsu suddenly reached up and gave a handful of his hair a good tug, and he winced a little.

"She wants you to do it again," Hinata prodded, but he shook his head. Was he actually embarrassed? It was funny. And after that, no matter how many times Hinata asked him or bugged him about it, Neji just wouldn't show her what he'd done exactly. He still had too much pride for Hinata's taste, but that was okay. The mystery of the situation made it all the more interesting, and she guessed that she'd catch him in the act of being silly for Katsu again one of these days.


	23. Of Motherhood, and Moments to Celebrate

_**A/N: **__This chapter is just a collection of short and sweet moments between Neji, Hinata, and Katsu (and their friends as well, I suppose) over the passing of time, before I'm ready to release the epilogue - AKA the __final__ chapter._

_{Oh, and for those of you wondering about the Neji/Naruto talk in the last chapter, I suppose I could go on and tell you. Naruto, being the blunt and outspoke individual that he is, was congradulating Neji, and telling him quite frankly that he was giving up on Hinata. Naruto could see that she was truly happy, and he was unexpectedly happy for her too. He left by saying goodbye so happily, confusing our poor little Neji, who's logically thinking brain can only handle so much impulsive Naruto at a time.} ^__^_

_As for the thing that Neji did to make Katsu laugh... that's a secret that will be taken to the grave. In other words, even I don't have a clue. o_O_

* * *

In the two weeks since Katsu's birth, Hinata had not yet worn the pink pajamas that Sakura and Ino and Tenten had picked out for her so long ago. She wasn't used to wearing such things around Neji, so she'd spent the past few weeks wearing her usual night robes, but eventually she began missing the feel of the silky fabric against her skin. Neji watched her curiously from the bed as she pulled them on - Hinata had gone to the bathhouse earlier that day, and Katsu was finally sleeping soundly in her crib again.

When Hinata came to her husband's side on the bed, he inclined his head a little as if to ask, _Where did you get those from?_ She smiled a little - it was so incredibly relieving to just finally have him _home_ - and huddled up to his side, her head on his shoulder. "Sakura and Ino and Tenten bought these for me, before they moved in.... What do you think?"

Neji placed an arm around her waist, and pulled her close to him, until the two of them were face-to-face. "I think... you look very cute." She smiled at that, and threw her arms around his neck to kiss him with as much passion as she could summon.

"I've missed you," she said, sighing a little as their lips finally parted. More in his lap than anything now, Hinata rested her forehead on his shoulder, and savored the feeling of Neji holding her tenderly. It was a statement that was becoming habit to repeat these days - she couldn't possibly ever stress the amount of how much she had missed him. She knew he must be getting tired of hearing it, and it sometimes made him still feel a little guilty for the fact that he'd been away for so long, but Hinata couldn't hold it back. The words slipped out at all moments of the day - she was hardly able to separate herself from Neji's side since he'd come home.

Silently, Neji ran his fingers through Hinata's hair, his other hand trailing down to her lower back lovingly. He seemed to want to say something, but all the words had already been said at one point or another. There was nothing left to say that he hadn't already told her a thousand times. But that was okay - Hinata understood perfectly.

Later on that night, Hinata woke to her husband inching his way out of bed, obviously trying not to wake her. She kept her eyes dutifully closed, and waited as he claimed Katsu from her crib - though their daughter wasn't complaining at all - and nestled the baby in between the two of them. "Did you miss her?" Hinata asked quietly then.

Neji looked up. "I hadn't meant to wake you," he whispered.

"It's more than fine." Hinata reached out to touch his face. Then, she looked down at her daughter, sleeping so soundly even though she had just been transferred from one bed to the other. Silently, Hinata placed a gentle kiss on the baby's head. It was incredible - mind-blowing to think of who this child really _was_. A perfect mix of Hinata and Neji together. The baby that for so long had been waiting in silence inside Hinata's stomach, showing her rough love through sometimes painful and startling kicks. And now here she was. Katsu was here with them; so close, so beautiful, sleeping in a comfortable space in between her two parents on the bed.

"Hinata," Neji said suddenly. "There is something I've wanted to ask you."

"Yes?" she said, and smiled up at him. Hinata was almost positive about what it was he wanted to ask - she had seen him hesitating with it for the last two weeks, and she wanted to let him know that it was alright just to say it. He couldn't seem to help but smile gently back then.

"You... Tenten was living here with you for so long..." he started, but she didn't allow him to finish.

"Yes," Hinata replied with a little sigh. "Yes, she told me, Neji. How she feels about you. But I think... I think she's really... gotten over it." Hinata's eyes were only on his face, weighing his reaction as she spoke. At first, he looked almost regretful, and then, a little angry. After a moment, Neji cursed quietly in the silence. "I didn't want her worrying you. Hinata... you have to know...."

"I know nothing happened between you," she said quietly. Still, the twisting pain of jealousy was still there sometimes. Neji and Tenten - long time teammates; so much interrupted time alone together, without Hinata there to see the goings on. "I believe her...."

It was so quiet for a while. Neither of them quite knew what to say, but in the peace of their own home with Katsu lying so close, it was impossible for them to shatter the comfort with any kind of uneasiness. "I'm sorry," he told her quietly.

"Why are you apologizing? If nothing happened... then you... shouldn't apologize." He quickly began to say something else, some hasty words to reassure her that nothing _had _happened, but she interrupted him again. "I don't blame her. Or you. I know that Tenten is trying to get over it. She really is, Neji. So you... shouldn't think she's annoying. And if anything did ever happen... that's... okay too...." Though it was anything but. She had convinced herself that it was no big deal, it was perfectly understandable if anything _had _ever occurred between the two of them. But somehow, even as she spoke the words, Hinata knew that it would be too much to forgive.

"Hinata..." Neji sighed, sadness in his eyes. "You really shouldn't worry yourself.... I love you.... If anything ever happened, it would be only between you and I." Gently, he took both of her hands in his, and held her close, their sleeping child sighing contentedly in her sleep at the feel of her parent's being so close. "Doubt me if you want, but never think that my affections go beyond what we have here." He touched her face with their clasped hands, and looked down at their daughter with love shining in his eyes, emphasizing exactly what he meant.

Hinata smiled, even through the sudden tears that sprang up. Her heart felt so warm - finally - with Neji so close again. She was happy, comfortable, blissful. She really didn't think that her life could be any more full with him and Katsu there. Neji wouldn't lie to her, she knew, and even if jealousy did ever touch her again, she would still always know that Neji truthfully and honestly loved only her. Because she believed him. She believed him, always.

* * *

A year had passed smoothly, with Hinata loving Neji, and Neji loving Hinata, and the both of them loving their precious daughter together. Katsu wasn't speaking yet - she was a quiet child for the most part. Mostly, she liked to stare at her parents with silent, watchful eyes. And she still liked to hear their voices as well, because if ever they were too quiet for too long, she would promptly begin tugging one of their sleeves - or find some other way to grab their attention - so that they would talk. Her hair was getting long too - it hung to her shoulders in small waves. Unlike her parents, who both had unnaturally straight hair, hers was decidedly difficult.

Katsu's best friends were a collection of Neji and Hinata's friends. Tenten was now officially "Auntie Ten," Ino and Sakura were like the grandmothers who spoiled their sole grandchild - even if said grandchild never seemed to grow excited over such simple things as sweets and toys, like they did. Katsu was absolutely taken with Akamaru, and as such, Kiba was around a lot. Naruto was strangely like a loving uncle toward the child - she laughed a lot whenever he was near, which was unusual in itself. Like Neji before her, it was difficult to ever puzzle out what Katsu was thinking or what she wanted, because she was so watchful, and hardly announcing of her emotions. She rarely cried or complained, and was never any trouble in public at all - not including, of course, the fact that people all liked to walk up to them and say such lines such as "ohhhh she's so cute!" Every now and then, Katsu would even grace her adult admirers with warm, beautiful smiles.

So many things had happened in the year since Katsu's birth. For example, Tenten had cut all her hair off. Yep, no more buns. It was all spiked now, almost like a boy's - she said it was more convenient, never getting in her way and she never had to mess with it now besides. Sakura and Ino had inevitably broken up, and then later had gone back out... and broken up again of course, and now Hinata wasn't quite sure what was going on with those two. Things were happy enough, though.

Oh yes, and surprisingly enough, Hanabi had gotten married. She and Katsu were still close - Hinata's younger sister had visited the house often before the time of her marriage. Now however, Hanabi was too busy with her new husband (who, by the way, happened _not_ to be another Hyuga...) and getting her own life started. Soon, Hinata suspected that _they_ would be the ones visiting _her_. She and Hanabi were somewhat closer now, though as silent as ever with one another. Katsu just seemed to have the natural ability of healing frayed bonds somehow. It was nearly impossible to be unhappy or uncomfortable whenever she was around - despite her being so little and so quiet, Hinata's daughter had a presence that _glowed_. Somehow, she was very noticeable.

This night, the little family were all in the bathhouse together, all three of them perfectly at ease. Katsu, only just being subjected to the bathhouse a few weeks before - since she was still so little, and not yet the most graceful thing on two legs - didn't quite know what to think of the place. Her large eyes were very curious. Hinata had bought some of the beads that Tenten had shown her so long ago, simply for this night, and bubbles were issuing up in the water all around. At first, Katsu seemed a little afraid of the white and pink foam bubbling up, but then when Hinata showed her that they were alright by touching them, Katsu reached out with tentative fingers... and suddenly slapped the water hard over a little lump of suds. After a few minutes of this - a look of absolute and utter concentration upon her little face for just a moment - Katsu unexpectedly let out a squeal of laughter.

They were in the shallow end of the water at the moment, of course, and yet Hinata felt a little reluctant to let her daughter wander out of arms reach. So, when Katsu began to step away, she reached out for her, but Neji held her hands back. "Let her," he said with a reassuring smile. "She'll be fine. If anything, she'll learn to swim."

Still, there were knots of discomfort in Hinata's belly as she watched her daughter walk around in the water on her own. The water came up to the child's chest, even standing up. After a few moments, Katsu turned to her parents, seemingly confused. "Mother," she said simply, although it was still quite difficult for her to pronounce the "th" sound, so it came out sounding a little strange. They knew what she meant by it by now, though. Despite the fact that Katsu hardly spoke at all, the fact that she listened closely while everyone else spoke had done wonders for a one-year-old's vocabulary. Katsu was perfectly able to talk in full sentences, even if she did have some little trouble with pronunciation.

Oh. Hinata knew what the problem was. She and Neji were being too quiet again. So she smiled a little, glancing up at her husband. "Do you like the bubbles Katsu?" she asked softly.

Katsu nodded, and splashed around in the water a few more times for effect. "We haven't taken her anywhere for a while," Hinata said quietly to her husband then. "Maybe... we should go into the village tomorrow."

"Auntie Ten?" Katsu asked simply, her little eyes lighting up. They had just seen Tenten the day before, and yet Hinata and Katsu were both always so eager to see her again. Neji never minded it - at first, he had been very reluctant to warm up to Tenten, despite the fact that the two of them had been teammates for so long. However, once the distance between the two of them had finally caught Katsu's attention, the little girl had worked her magic once again, and things were easy now. There was no more jealousy. Hinata was never reluctant to leave them in a room alone together. And now that Neji had seemed to cast away his reluctance to speak with her like a normal human being, Tenten had just gone back to her old happy, annoying self around him. He didn't seem to mind anymore though. Sometimes he actually laughed at her, and Tenten had commented several times on how much Hinata had really "softened him up."

Yes, in any way one looked at it, little Katsu was the star of the show... though already Hinata and Neji were hoping that soon, things would change. Not for the worse of course - they didn't mind having their hearts stolen away by such a precious baby girl. However, they had spoken, lightly, of their next child. Hinata was very much aware of the fact that Katsu was not yet even two years of age, and really she wanted to wait until her daughter was somewhat older before producing her with a baby brother or sister. Still, she sometimes found herself already looking forward to it. Hinata felt a great comfort... being a mother. It was something that she unexpectedly, really _wanted_. She wondered, maybe the next child would be a little boy, every bit as beautiful and loved as Katsu was.

Hinata, as happy as she was - more than happy -, was still only eager to see her little family grow and grow. "Mother," Katsu said suddenly. "I-love-you."

* * *

"Happy birthday!"

Katsu squealed happily and ran into the arms of their unexpected visitor - "Auntie Ten" herself. Tenten was the first of many, seeing as only she was perfectly comfortable with showing up at Hinata and Neji's household so early in the morning. Tenten had said, she wanted to be the very first to tell Katsu happy birthday, but seeing at the little girl _did_ have two parents, Hinata's friend would just have to settle with being the third.

"Tenten," Hinata said warmly, smiling over at her. Unhesitating, Hinata grabbed a second cup from the cabinet, and poured Tenten some coffee as well. Neji was sitting in all his morning silence at the kitchen table, silently sipping at his own cup. He also allowed Tenten a small smile - but that was a great acknowledgement, really, considering that it was Neji the smile was coming from.

"'Sup?" the woman asked playfully, accepting the cup of coffee from Hinata, even as she dangled Katsu over one arm. The little now-two-year-old was giggling insanely - she knew what "birthday" meant by now, and had been looking forward to this so much for the past few weeks that she'd actually been talking and laughing much more often. Tiny white teeth showed so adorably whenever she smiled - it was enough to capture any unsuspecting victim's heart. Katsu knew that people loved her, and being the child that she was, she did sometimes take advantage of that, but Hinata knew that her daughter would always be grateful for the things she had. Katsu shared the love that Neji and Hinata showed in their household. It was such a peaceful, happy comfort... so indescribably... perfect. Only Katsu saw it while it was so obvious and raw; she saw everything, because she was their daughter, and she held that love in her heart with her wherever she went. Although, unlike her parents, Katsu shared her love with the world as well, through her giggles and her smiles. Rare emotion was what made it all the more precious.

Throughout the day, Tenten so far became the one and only sole visitor. Hinata had told Katsu, that a birthday meant that everyone would come to see her and tell her how much they loved her. It was around one in the afternoon, and even though Auntie Ten had shown up earlier, Katsu was beginning to look depressed. "How about I walk with you over to Aunt Hanabi's?" Hinata suggested. "I know she wants to see you today."

In silence, Katsu simply nodded, inclining her head a little - because she had picked it up from Neji - and kicking one of her toys around a little. It was normal for a two year old to sulk, but it would be worth it, to see the happiness on her face in just a few hours' time. Hanabi and her husband were to watch over Katsu for them while the house was being made ready for the upcoming party. The first birthday, they hadn't made such a big deal over. Hinata supposed that it was more important than all the other birthdays, since it was the first, but Katsu had still been so little then, and so they hadn't thrown a party for her. This year would be different. This year, they were really pulling out all the stops.

Usually, Neji just didn't _do_ big events. He didn't like crowds of people, and probably he especially didn't like the thought of crowds of people in his own home. However, even he seemed to be in high spirits on this day. Katsu was doing wonders for his social skills, which was strange considering that she was only just two. He was more friendly than threatening and annoyed by Hinata's friends now, and he actually didn't seem to mind that fact that _everybody_ was coming over to help with the decorations and preparations.

The party went no further than the kitchen and living room of the house, banners and balloons and all. Tables of food, because everyone was invited and _everyone_ liked to eat. Hinata even gave Naruto's consent to watch over the ramen cooking, because of course there had to be ramen if Naruto were going to be eating there.

When Hanabi arrived at around four thirty with her husband and Katsu trailing along behind, Hinata and Neji went to meet them at the door. "Welcome home Katsu," Neji said simply, and opened up his arms so that the little girl would make her way over to him. At first, Katsu had been awkward at walking, but now she was a child who managed it... somewhat gracefully. Sometimes, just watching her walk was in itself, fascinating. Neji held their daughter as they headed inside.

In the living room, everything instantly sprang to life. Many happy shouts of "happy birthday Katsu!" as drinks (non-alcoholic, of course) were passed around and people chatted happily. Katsu looked like her eyes would pop if they grew any wider. At first, the little girl seemed utterly shocked, and then she went completely and adorably red in the face, and the next thing she knew, Katsu was giggling happily, blushing at the sudden unexpected attention.

She was passed around happily for most of the night - unlike her parents, Katsu never shied away from a crowd, never sought silence or solitude. Katsu was fed far too many sweets and given so many gifts that Hinata wondered where they would have the space to fit them all. Already the girl was sleeping in her own bedroom at night - most nights - and already she had been spoiled into too many things by Sakura and Ino and anybody else who thought she was cute. For someone only two years old, Katsu had an unusual amount of toys, and she didn't even take any interest in half of them. Most of them were by now crammed into the spaces of her room. They might just have to use a spare room, with nothing but the sole purpose of holding all of Katsu's things.

Night fell, and the food was eaten. Halfway through her own birthday party, Katsu passed out cold on the couch in between friends, sleeping soundly. All the excitement of the day had finally gotten to her - it was past her usual bedtime anyway, though there wasn't really a set time exactly. It was so priceless to see her snoozing lightly, even for her parents, who saw it every day. Many pictures were taken, and Hinata went with Neji to carry her up to bed. It looked as though Katsu would not be wearing any of her new night dresses or pajamas that night. Hinata tucked the girl in under her blankets, and handed her a doll so that she would have something to hold on to, and wouldn't wake up feeling alone in the night. Katsu took comfort from dolls most nights. It prevented her from sneaking off to Neji and Hinata's room at least.

Hinata kissed her daughter on the forehead, and Neji ran his fingers through Katsu's growing hair. They left the room, allowing the door to stay cracked open a little, and together husband and wife headed downstairs for the party again. It was a perfect night.

* * *

Katsu was three years of age now, wavering close to the line of age four. She had spent the day at Hanabi's house, while Hinata stayed home with Neji at her side, giving birth to a baby sister for Katsu. Tsunade was the one who was there help her through the delivery again, and the woman had left earlier with work to do back in Konoha. Tenten had taken Katsu away nearly as soon as she realized that Hinata was going into labor - she knew that Hinata didn't want Katsu to be there to hear her in pain like that. Now, though, the little girl was finally coming into the room, led by the hand by her aunt. Katsu had already experienced one birth in the family - at that second year birthday party of hers, Hanabi had confided in Hinata that had she thought that she was pregnant. Hanabi's own pregnancy had brought the two sisters together, finally, and Hinata had been the one who was there to help Hanabi through the exhausting process.

When Katsu's little cousin, a bouncing baby boy by the name of Eiji, had been born, Katsu hadn't seemed to know quite what to think. Being a child herself, she had never yet had many experiences with little babies. But now, as she stepped up to the bed near her mother and father, Katsu peered down into the red face of her tiny new sister, and smiled. "What's her name, mother?" she asked quietly.

"Well... we're not sure yet, Katsu. Maybe you can help me think of one. You think?"

"Mmmhm." And with a feeling of absolute, perfect love that could nearly burst her beating heart, Hinata watched as Katsu leaned down to place a tiny kiss upon the newest member of the family. "Hello baby," she said quietly, and tiny pale eyes opened to meet the curious matching purple ones of the elder sister. In the quiet of night, rain began to pound on the window from outside - the weather enjoyed these little hiccups on such special days, it seemed. But as the snow had not bothered Hinata on the day of Katsu's birth, the rain stood no chance of ruining this perfect day, of the birth of their second beautiful little child.

* * *


	24. Epilogue, The Son They Never Had

_**A/N: **__Gah! Here it is! The final chapter of what was my very first NejiHina story~ T^T_

_You know, this is the longest story I have on my account thus far, but it seems like I finished it in no time at all - (a month exactly! holy hell!) I think this story really brought me good luck. =) I've been writing like crazy ever since I started it!_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this shorty epilogue._

.:_The_Son_They_Never_Had:.

* * *

There were five of them - all girls.

Katsu, of course - the eldest, now of 15 years. Sachi; age 12, Rai; age 10, and Kiku and Chizu; the twins who were just nearing age four. It was really a sight to behold - all five children were nestled (more like crammed, really) somewhat comfortably into bed with their parents. Kiku and Chizu, as young as they were, still hadn't broken the habit of sneaking into bed with Neji and Hinata at night, and somehow the others had just happened to follow suit sometime during the night. The twins were snuggled between their parents now, holding one another close. Sachi was sleeping back-to-back with Neji, and Rai was on the other side of Hinata with an arm around her mother's once again bulging belly. Katsu, being who she was, had simply curled up into a tiny ball at the end of the bed, sleeping in an uncomfortable looking way as she lay upon most of their feet. She didn't seem to mind though.

Neji was the first awake, and all at once the slight annoyance of being awoken time and time again the night before by their children crawling into bed with them meant next to nothing - he suddenly found the situation quite amusing actually. Anyone walking in would hardly believe their eyes. Even Neji wasn't sure how they had all managed actual sleep like this. He turned his head in time to see that little Chizu was opening her eyes slowly, staring sleepily at him. When her eyes focused upon her father's face, she smiled in silence. Like Katsu, neither of the twins spoke much - in that they took after their father - but while Katsu was more serious, the twins were... playful. One always seemed to know what the other was thinking, so unless they were communicating with parent or sibling, speaking was hardly an ability they needed.

It was a crowded life with so many children, but simple somehow, too.

And yes, Hinata was pregnant once again -- for the seventh time. Neji's wife had nearly fallen apart years earlier, when not long after Rai was born, she experienced a miscarriage. It was a depressing time for the entire Hyuga family - Tsunade had said that Hinata might not be able to have anymore children, and despite the fact that they'd already had three beautiful daughters at the time, Hinata had been broken hearted. Then, they'd been blessed with Chizu and Kiku - the twins. Though Hinata was a wonderful mother, and her children all knew she loved them so much, Neji's wife doted on the twins especially. There was hardly sibling rivalry over _that _though - the twins were irresistible, and the other three girls were taken with them too, as was Neji.

Things did sometimes get a little out of hand though. With five daughters growing up so quickly together, there was more than a fair share of tiny, insignificant fights and spats in the Hinata and Neji household. The girls all got along for the most part, though, really. They looked up to one another and looked after one another, and even though Neji sometimes felt smothered at being surrounded by so many females, he couldn't help but feel fulfilled at the sight of his daughters taking care of each other. The children also helped with their mother, each giving her confidence and love like nothing that Neji alone could have ever provided. Neji knew this, and he was happy for Hinata. He was happy for himself. He was grateful to have such a large family, taking the good and the bad with it.

Their daughters were wonderful, but Neji and Hinata - and just about the rest of the Hyuga clan as well, were all hoping to see the two of them bear a son this time around. Jokingly, most of the people in Konoha - even Tsunade herself - had labeled Hinata "The Mother of the Hyuga." Even with the strain it took on her body, Hinata was ecstatic with motherhood. Just like the flower that she was, she had bloomed completely into a state of perfect ease and content at the birthing of their very first daughter. Love radiated from her like nothing else... Neji could feel it most of all.

Slowly that morning, one by one each family member began to wake. Katsu the first up and out of bed. She stood, and stretched, then silently kissed her sleeping mother's cheek and left the room. After a moment, Chizu woke Kiku, and the two girls sat up in bed, but didn't try to get out. If they did, surely they would wake their mother. Neji couldn't move either, because Sachi was still behind him. After a moment, said daughter rolled out of bed onto the floor. She was always pretty clumsy. Neji turned to see if she was alright, but she was already quietly standing up. Such falls were ordinary for her in the mornings. Neji got out of bed to allow the twins to get up too, and together Sachi and Kiku and Chizu left the room together.

Neji scooted close to his wife, nuzzling her neck until she woke. Rai sat up then too, and she and Hinata smiled at one another until the last daughter followed suit of the others and exited the room. As much as they had been through in the nearly sixteen years of marriage, the bond between Neji and Hinata was as strong as ever. Soon, they would have another baby to add to the family as well.

Actually, said occurrence happened just that after noon. Neji and Hinata were in the kitchen together. Katsu was there with them, reading silently at the table - a habit she had picked up from her mother. Sachi was outside playing with the twins, and Rai must have been upstairs in her room. Suddenly, Hinata doubled over, her breath leaving her lungs in a _whoosh_, and Neji didn't have to ask to know what was happening. He led his wife quickly up the stairs, with Katsu watching in interest from the table. He helped Hinata into bed, promising to bring the Hokage back shortly, and asked Rai to sit with her until he returned. As he passed through the kitchen, he told Katsu to follow him, and once outside he advised Sachi to take the twins to Hanabi's. Hinata's sister by now had two children of her own, but she still never minded to see her nieces.

There was this thing about Katsu. As quiet as she was, she never really acknowledged what one might call... the rules of socializing. She never took any notice of people's personal space. Sometimes she would do things that most people would consider plain rude, but it was a habit that Neji and Hinata had so far been unable to break. For example, on this day in Konoha, rather than using the door to get up to the Hokage's office, Katsu immediately began running up the building so that she could go in right through the office window. "Not that way!" Neji called after her, and cursed loudly, following her up. When he reached said window, Katsu was already perched up on the Hokage's desk, face-to-face with Tsunade, and papers flying everywhere from her untimely entrance.

The years had not touched Tsunade of course. The woman still had too much pride to let her true appearance show - she looked as young and beautiful as ever, and now there was a vein on her forehead about to burst. "Katsu," she grumbled a greeting through clenched teeth.

"Mother's having the baby," Katsu said simply, her face betraying no emotion.

"I see..." Tsunade sighed. So far, the woman had been there through the birth of every one of Neji and Hinata's children. She wasn't about to miss this one either, seeing as it would be the last one. The Hokage had told Hinata, that after this child, she _had_ to give up. It was simply too hard on Hinata's body, and six children already was more than enough. Hinata had listened to the woman, and ultimately had agreed that it was probably best. Hinata loved being a mother, but she was happy and blessed with the large family she had already. This would be the last child she would ever give birth to.

It took nearly three hours for Hinata to deliver the baby that night. Of their five daughters, only Katsu remained, waiting impatiently by the bedroom door out in the hallway, despite the fact that Hinata hadn't wanted her to be there. "A son," Tsunade finally announced with a satisfied-looking grin as the baby came into the world. Neji sighed heavily, and returned his wife's tiny, exhausted smile. Katsu came into the room then, and went directly to the Hokage's side, staring down at the new baby. Neji wiped some of Hinata's sweat matted hair from her face, and his wife clenched his hand with tears in her eyes as together they held their son for the first time.

* * *


End file.
